Tales of a Boy and His Dog
by ShadowRonin
Summary: A Tale in the making. A story like no other. See what happens when a normal boy gets warped into this new world with no one familiar to him except his faithful dog. Can he return to his world, or will he survive the rising of a new gang? Eventual NaXHi
1. A Chance by Fate

**Yo! Ronin's back, and with more action and OC's than ever! Well, here comes another fic with another leading OC doing his thing! My other two stories are on hold since my laptop got fried, and they use a different typing program. Till I can get a new laptop with Microsoft Works Word Processor, and download Openoffice, they won't be updated. But now, here's another OC adventure! Sit back, relax, and read with content!**

Chapter 1: The Accident That Altered Fate.

(Real World)

Another Saturday night. Games are taken, all the good cartoons are over, and watching your little cousin get his ass kicked in video games is rather boring after 2 hours.

"Hey DJ! You need to walk the dog. It's almost 11:00." His little brother said. Sighing in mild irritation, he jumped off the couch, and left from the confines of his basement. The dog followed hastily, obvious that she has to do her business.

He sighed. Well, someone had to do it, and the old man was dead asleep. Grabbing his gray overcoat/jacket, he put his gym shoes on, and grabbed the leash and a grocery bag.

Normally the walk back and forth to the block was nothing, but he felt that something was wrong. He couldn't shake it, but something felt wrong. Dismissing the thought as a superstitious vibe he gets when Pablo is in a killing mood, he walked past the usual 5 houses before crossing the street.

His headphones blaring, he didn't bother to look both ways before crossing the street. That and some person's driving hammered. The only warning the boy had was the bright light from the car, before he was sent into peaceful, serene darkness.

(Naruto World)

"Hey, get up." The boy heard a woman's voice, and automatically assumed he slept in for school again. "Just 5 minutes. I can catch the train if I get dressed in 5 minutes." He said, drowsily. "Boy, get your ass up now!" That got him up in a hurry. He looked around, and noticed he was in a forest.

"Hn. If I went to bed, I should be on the couch." He murmured to himself, before he looked to see who woke him. What he saw actually stunned him. His dog was sitting there, and she looked cartoony.

"…Midnight? Why do you look like a cartoon? And who was calling my name?" He asked, looking confused. "You truly are dense. I was the one speaking to you!" Midnight said, and his eyes widened, confused as hell. He then shook his head.

"Hold it! You can talk!?" He said. "Yes DJ. I can talk! Just as obvious as your dreadlocks, I'm speaking to you now!" Midnight scolded him, and he reverted back to his usual could care less face. "Okay, that's nice to know. So, we're not in Chicago anymore, are we?" DJ asked, and Midnight sighed.

"No. This obviously is some alternate world. All I know is that there is some weird power flowing through me. If I focus it, it glows blue around my entire body." Midnight said. "That's chakra." DJ said, and Midnight looked at him. "So you remember?" Midnight asked. "Remember what? Should I know this world?" DJ asked. "No. You shouldn't." Midnight said, and DJ could detect that his dog wasn't truthful, but he let it slide.

"You know, since we have no real identities in this world, we should start anew until we figure out how to get back to our world." DJ said. "What's your plan?" Midnight asked. "We'll use fake names. Since this world is anime-like, there's a high chance that these people have Japanese names." DJ said.

"Your point?" "From here on, my name is Koji Hyosuke! You will be referred as Yami!" DJ said. "Yami?" Midnight asked. "That's the closest I can come up to Midnight. Better than nothing." DJ said. "Fine." Midnight said. And so, Koji Hyosuke and his dog, Yami, were born.

(Forest 5 miles from Konoha)

"Okay, explain to me again why we are now on the run from Sound?" A girl, long black hair, asked. "Well, he tried to kill us to summon these weird dead guys. You should be grateful I saved you both from that fate." The guy, who looked like a mummy, said. "Besides, did you see Orochimaru-sama when he was facing that Uchiha boy? He was a giant snake." Spikey Hair said, as they remembered the fight.

Flashback:

"Finally! He freaking changes bases again, and even takes our stuff with him!" Spike Hair said, grabbing their last spare of clothes, and getting out of there. All three were in the normal clothes for a Sound Nin, which consisted of the white robe with the purple pretzel bow. Spike Hair's robe had the kanji for 'bad-ass' on the back, mummy wore bandages under his which covered everything except his right eye, and had that white puffy thing floating behind him, and the girl had on a black mini-skirt with biker shorts on under them instead of the usual pants.

Before they made it out, they could feel two powerful chakra's flaring uncontrollably. They peaked, and what they saw scared them. Sasuke, in Curse Mark Level 2, was fighting Orochimaru, who looked like a giant snake with smaller snakes coming off of him. When they clashed again, Orochimaru looked like he was attempting to use his Body Possession Jutsu, and a giant explosion took place. Deciding to get out of there, the team of three got the hell out of there.

End.

"That was scary as hell!" Spikey Hair said, and his two teammates agreed. "Wow, even Zaku has fears. With that invincible gung-ho-ness you always seem to have, I thought you had no fear." His mummy friend said. "Yeah, and you were calm and collected!" Zaku said, and both boys glared at each other.

"Save face later, we need money and food. We also need to find the others." Their female teammate said, and they all caught sight of something unexpected. A few yards in front of them, a boy, who was lying down, looked to be asleep. His dog laying right next to him.

"I bet he has something worth taking. We need money, so let's take whatever he's got!" Zaku said, smirking. When they were within 5 feet of the nin, the dog jumped up, and began growling at them.

"yawn What's wrong Yami?" The boy asked, before he caught sight of the three nin Yami was growling at. Stretching and cracking his back into place, Zaku and his team got a good look at the boy.

They were surprised he was so tall. He stood at maybe 6 feet 3. His brown dreadlocks coming down to the middle of his back. His orange shirt and dark blue shorts that came down past his knees. His skin was also slightly tanned to be a brownish color.

"And you three are?" He asked, and gave them a bored look, putting his hands in his pockets. "What should it matter, your getting mugged!" Zaku said. The boy pulled his right hand out, and it began glowing with yellow, electric chakra.

"You look a little threatening. If you plan on taking me on, I should warn you. I spent the day figuring out what I can and can't do. If you wish to take me on, I can't say you will get out of this with your lives intact." He said, pointing his glowing hand at them. Zaku smirked, and aimed his Air Cannons at the boy. "Hold on Zaku. This boy means business. We would like to know your name before we kill you." Zaku's mummy friend says.

"…Koji Hyosuke." The dreadlocked nin said, and Zaku smirked. "I'm Zaku. The mummy is named Dosu, and the girl is named Kin." Zaku said, smirking. "Okay. Since there are three of you, holding back would be bad." Koji said, and his chakra shot viciously.

His chakra towered over theirs, and all three did their best to not look intimidated. Before the fight could begin, they all felt another presence, and a deadly wave of killing intent. They looked to the source, and the former Sound 3 smirked. "So, you survived the fight against Orochimaru-sama. Didn't expect whatever that was, Sasuke." Zaku said, and the last Uchiha merely stood there, arms crossed and eyes closed.

Zaku was about to spew more insults at Sasuke, but Dosu stood in front of him, glaring at the Uchiha in front of him. "That isn't Sasuke. His chakra is different, more evil." Dosu said, his single eye gazing hard at Sasuke.

"…ku ku ku ku. You always were one of my brightest pawns. To bad you had to go and hide from me." When Sasuke opened his eyes, instead of the onyx eyes of the Uchiha, his eyes were yellow. "So, Uchiha was taken in the end." Dosu said, and everyone else looked on.

"This new body is great. And to break it in, I'll kill off a few traitors to Sound." Orochimaru said, activating the Sharingan. "Shit! Whose this guy? His chakra is really high! What did you three do?" Koji asked.

"That's none of your business. It's our problem." Dosu said, and in an instant, Koji appeared next to Dosu, right hand still glowing with electric chakra. "I'm on my own here. You guys are the only people I've met today. And if a choice was given, you guys seem more fun." Koji said, smirking.

"Touching. Now, prepare to die!" Sasuke said, packing a Chidori in his right hand. Without a second thought, he charged, too quickly for them to react. They expected him to attack Dosu or Koji, since they took point, but he breezed past them, heading for Kin.

(What!?) Dosu thought to himself. (Damn!! He's aiming for Kin, but why!?) Zaku thought, as he barely saw Sasuke shoot past him. He pulled back, and thrust his arm forward, where Kin should be. When he hit, there was surprise in his eyes.

Crimson eyes glanced to light brown eyes, and he was stunned. "Attacking girls without a good reason is something I can't allow." Koji said, gripping the hand that went right through his left shoulder. "Now, feel my lightning attack. Lightning Style: Short Volt Jutsu!" Koji said, releasing the chakra from his body, giving Sasuke quite the shock. The lightning ended when Sasuke yanked his hand out of Koji's shoulder, causing blood to spray out of the wound. Koji fell towards the ground, but Yami caught him before he hit the ground.

"Hn. Seems like you've made a powerful friend. No worries. I have plenty of time to deal with all of you." Sasuke said, disappearing. The three looked over to Koji, who was fading in and out of consciousness. "Che. Saving some girl I don't know. That was really something I wouldn't normally do." Koji mumbled to himself, while Yami laid Koji down.

"He's going to die. Let's take his stuff." Zaku said, and Yami growled at him, ready for a fight. "No Zaku! He saved us. He took a serious attack for me…" Kin said, trailing off. "Kin is right. I hate having to owe someone, so we'll take him to Konoha. Their Hokage is said to be a Medic Nin who can heal anything." Dosu said, picking him up.

"We're taking a risk for this guy?" Zaku asked. "Yes we are. Besides, he seems to be on our side. If the Hokage is insistent on us leaving, he'll have a place to be safe. Kimimaro is waiting for us to find him as soon as possible." Dosu said, heading for Konoha. Yami followed closely, Zaku scoffed and followed, and Kin took the rear.

ShadowRonin: Yep! This time, I've flipped it big time. This one is as canon as the chapter when Sasuke and Orochimaru fought. Though in reality, Sasuke won, in my fic, he lost. But like in all my stories, there is more than one group of foes. Sound is one of them, but the other side, you'll see when the time comes! So, wish Koji luck, and drop a line!


	2. It All Falls Down

**Hey! Ronin is here, with chapter 2. I got a couple of comments about my story, so now, I will answer them.**

**Living Sound Trio: Yes, the Sound nin are alive, and kicking. I want people to know that I didn't bring them back on a whim, or just because I can. There's a reason for their existence, and you'll find out in future chapters. The only thing I'll tell you is that they function like Akatsuki does, but they are now on the side of Good, thanks to the one that revived them. But they aren't the only ones. You'll see in due time.**

**With that aside, bring on chapter 2!!**

Chapter 2: It All Falls Down.

Zaku, Kin, and Dosu arrived near Konoha in the middle of the night, under the guise of a Transformation Jutsu. "We should be there in about 5 minutes." Dosu said. "He's losing blood fast! We've run out of Blood Pills." Zaku said_. (Stupid Humans. They need someone who knows Healing Jutsus.)_ Yami thought to herself. After 5 minutes, they found the gates of Konoha. "We need to be on our best behavior, especially you Zaku." Dosu said, and Zaku calmly flipped him the bird.

_(Konoha South Gate)_

Neji and Lee, sadly, had the Graveyard Shift, and were up watching the Southern gates. They looked out, and saw three people walking, carrying a boy who looked to be bleeding out of his shoulder.

"What happened to him!?" Lee asked. "He was supposed to help us here, but he was attacked by missing nin. Can we take him to a hospital and spend the night in an inn?" The girl asked. "YES!!! I shall direct you to the Hospital, and then to the inn!" Lee said, taking off, with the people following him.

Neji merely stood there and smirked. He had activated Byakugan, and saw through their disguises. With that knowledge, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_(Hospital_)

Morning came way too quickly, and Koji found himself in a hospital bed. (What happened? Ng, my arm is throbbing like hell.) He thought to himself. "Glad to see you awake, DJ." Yami said, and Koji sighed. "Midnight. It's dangerous to talk when we're not alone. This IS a hospital." Koji said, shaking his head. "Don't be so uptight. The nurses are too enthralled in their work to pay attention to someone who is already healed." Yami told his superstitious master.

"True as that may be, I don't want them to find out about anything that could put us in trouble." Koji said, and Yami scoffed at him. Before Yami could continue, three people walked in, one of them smirking at him. "So, the useless hero survives. Who would have thought?" The boy on the right said, and Koji gave him a bored look.

"Thanks for caring Spiky Hair." Koji said. "So that must be Mummy, and the girl must be Bowtie." They all looked at him with confusion. "What? I saw the bowtie she had on her hair." He said. Before they could continue the conversation, the door opened, and Tsunade walked in, along with Kakashi, Neji, Naruto, and Sakura.

"Such a huge reception for little old me?" Koji asked. "Drop it. Who are you four? Neji says he recognized you from the Chuunin Exams 3 years ago." Tsunade said. Zaku, Kin, and Dosu all sweat dropped, and Koji sighed. _(Figures. Always had bad luck with friends.)_ Koji thought to himself. The three nin dropped the Transformation Jutsus, and Sakura glared hard at them. "It's you three again!" She said, pointing at them. Kin and Zaku smirked at her.

"Hey Dosu, that's the girl that Kin forced to cut her hair. She actually kept the thing short." Zaku taunted, which Koji shook his head in annoyance about. "Look, taunt enemies later. We want to escape with as little problem as possible." Koji said, pulling out a kunai.

"Got it!" Kin said, tossing senbon needles at them. They dodged the needles easily, but a ringing sound began to throw off their balance, and before they could recover, the 4 nin were gone. "Damn! Find them!" Tsunade said, and the 2 Jounin, 1 Chuunin, and Loudmouth Genin disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_(Somewhere outside the North Gates)_

"You guys lopped off that pink haired girl's hair a few years back!?" Koji asked as they sped through Konoha, towards the North Gate. "Sorry we forgot to mention that!" Dosu said so calmly, Koji was sure he didn't mean it. "Don't worry over it, Dreadlocks! We got your back!" Zaku said.

(He sounds so much like Pablo, it's scary.) Koji thought to himself. They made it to the front of the gates, but what was in front of them was not only a bad sign, but proof of some serious bad luck. Orochimaru appeared right in front of them.

"Hn. Looks like Golden Eyes came and paid us a visit." Koji said, as Dosu stood next to him, raising his Melody Arm. "Sorry, we don't have time to fight now. Step aside before we get serious!" Koji said, electricity pulsing from his hand. Zaku aimed his Air Cannons at Orochimaru, and Kin had a few shuriken on her. "You won't get the chance." Orochimaru said, and they all turned to see Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, and Neji.

_(Shit, they caught up too quickly!)_ Koji thought to himself. He noted that the other three also looked a little panicked. "Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed, and Naruto and Neji gave surprised looks. "Teme!?" Naruto screamed. Koji looked to 'Sasuke,' and noticed something that would play against him. His eyes, instead of Orochimaru's yellow, was now onyx.

_(He's switching eye colors. He's playing them like pianos.)_ Koji thought to himself. Dosu noticed Koji's in serious thought, and decided to play this by ear. "When did you decide to come back, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked. "When I killed Orochimaru." Sasuke said, and everyone was stunned. Neji, Kakashi, and Naruto were stunned by this revalation. Zaku, Kin, and Dosu were mortified.

They realized what Koji had realized earlier when they also saw that Orochimaru's eyes were now black as well.

_(So, Koji caught this earlier. Quite observant.)_ Dosu thought to himself. "These look like those Sound Nin from the Chuunin Exams. Why are they here?" Sasuke asked. "Don't know, but if they are here, Sound is planning something. Let's see if a trip with Ibiki will get them talking." Kakashi said, and Koji glared at Sasuke. "Great to have you back Teme!!" Naruto screamed, and Sasuke smirked back, no one noticing the sheer evil he radiated. "Great to be back dobe!"

_(15 miles from Konoha)_

In a small village outside of Konoha, 5 nin sat, waiting for their 3 other teammates to get there. "What's taking those shitheads so long!?" The red head said, and the orange head scowled at her. "You language Tayuya! It's so horrible!" He said.

"Both of you can it. I'm ready for something big, and you two squabble like a married couple!" The silver head said. They both glared at him, before their leader appeared. "Quiet. There are Sound Nin all over this village. Seems like they plan on fighting Konoha. I bet those three are there." He said.

"So?" Tayuya asked, and he sighed irritably. "We're going to save them, and let Sound know who we are." Their leader said, and noticed that they were a member short. "Damnit! Kidomaru! Get you 8 legged ass out here away from the damn game!" Tayuya screamed, and Kidomaru rushed out, a yo-yo in 4 of his 6 hands. "What's up now?" Kidomaru asked. "We're going out." Kimimaro said, and he smirked. "Finally! Some fun!" And with that, the 5 nin disappeared.

_(Konoha Jail)_

In the jails of Konoha, Zaku and Dosu were in one cell, while Kin and Koji were in another. Zaku and Dosu were merely meditating, while Kin was nodding off on Koji's shoulder, who was listening to music from his I-pod. "How are you so calm about this? We could die." Dosu said, causing Koji to glance at him.

"I am worried, but rather than show it outside, I keep a calm front." Koji said, using Kin's head to rest his eyes. "Heh. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you enjoy resting on Kin." Zaku said, smirking at Koji. "And if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous." Koji said, smirking knowing that he pissed Zaku off. "Got you there Zaku." Dosu said, and Zaku glared at him. "Hey you three! Cut out the chattering!" The warden said. The three nin that were awake all sighed.

"So, how long until we are killed off?" Koji asked. "Who knows. With these chakra cuffs on, we can't mold or use chakra." Dosu said, and Koji hn'd. "We should probably rest. We'll be better prepared for any challenge that comes." Dosu suggested. Zaku agreed, and used his arms as a makeshift pillow.

Dosu used his weird furry thing, while Koji leaned on the wall, whilst Kin used his chest as a pillow. While asleep, Koji's arm snaked around Kin's waist. All in all, this was going to be a funny scene in a few hours.

_(Hokage Tower)_

"So, Uchiha. What brings you to Konoha?" Tsunade asked. "I've dealt with Orochimaru, and wish to remain here in Konoha." Sasuke said. Tsunade looked at him with a critical eye. Something about Sasuke seemed off, but she wasn't sure about what it was.

"Since you've returned, you will be put under watch from the ANBU." Tsunade said, and Sasuke smirked at her. "That won't be necessary." Sasuke said, and Tsunade gave him a confused look. Just then, the door burst open, and Izumo rushed in. "Hokage-sama! Sound has begun to invade again! They have also brought the Rock Nin with them!" Izumo said.

Tsunade sat stunned, and slowly turned to Sasuke, who now had golden eyes. "The time for Konoha's destruction has begun!" Sasuke said, in Orochimaru's voice. With that, an explosion was heard outside.

_(Konoha Jail)_

"What the hell happened?" Zaku screamed. "Sound like a war has started!" Koji said, pulling out a key he swiped from the warden. Unlocking the cells, and the chakra restraints, they headed for the outside. When they came out, using the vantage point of the roof, they saw what was happening with horror.

"What the hell? Is this…" Koji trailed off, afraid his assumption was right. "The horrors of a war." Kin said, and Koji and Dosu saw an explosion coming from Hokage's Tower. "Come on! They need help!" Koji said, and his teammates nodded in agreement. They took off for the tower. "Explain why we're helping them! They want us dead." Zaku said. "You guys aren't Sound nin anymore. If you prove it, then maybe we'll get let off the hook." Koji said.

_(Village Square)_

"I must admit. This attack was really well thought out." Tsunade said, staring at Sasuke, who was really Orochimaru, down. "Hn. Trap all the powerful clans, and take the rest out. Such a plan requires the help of another village. Good thing the Rock Village decided to help me." Sasuke said, and he unsheathed his blade. Before the fight began, Sasuke jumped back to avoid an electric beam. In front of Tsunade, the 4 nin appeared.

"You 4?" Tsunade asked. "We are not your enemies. These guys are after my friends, and I'm along for the ride. You have a village to save, right?" Koji said. "I'll handle the creep. You three do whatever Tsunade says." Koji commanded.

"Hold it! Why is he ordering us around?" Zaku asked. "Now's not the time! She knows this place better than I do. She'll tell the commands! You, follow me!" Koji said, disappearing. Sasuke smirked, and disappeared as well. "Look, the major clans need help. Follow me!" Tsunade said, and they all disappeared to what was left of Hokage Tower.

Koji reappeared somewhere near the North Gate, but couldn't feel Sasuke's chakra. "I wonder. Why would you want to take me on by youself?" Sasuke asked, appearing from the shadows. "Well, those three were a team without me. If I die to make sure you can't get them, then that's all right with me." Koji said, and wished that Yami was here to help.

"Your horribly out powered in this little brawl." Sasuke said, smirking. "Never doubt the underdog." Koji said. "Many games are based on this little fact. Games that I've conquered pitted me as the one who should lose. So don't count me down." Koji said, chakra sparking in his right hand.

"You actually plan on fighting me?" Sasuke taunted. "I'm not making hollow threats." Koji said. "Then you will fight with everything you have?" Sasuke taunted again. "I don't defend my friends half-assedly." Koji said, knowing he just made up a word, but you get the gist of it.

**ShadowRonin: And that my friends, is chapter 2! Sound has begun to attack, Rock is helping, and all the pieces are falling into place.**

**Koji: What do you mean!? I'm going to die!**

**ShadowRonin: Don't worry my Electricity Dreadlocked friend! I believe you will find a way to not get killed in this fight!**

**Koji: ….Why me?**

**ShadowRonin: n.n because I can! Now that you read my story, drop a line. Every review ensures that people aren't ignoring me!**

**Koji: And if you don't, then ignore him some more!**

**ShadowRonin: …Sarcastic bastard.**


	3. Shadow Blades Appear

**Yo! I finally got the computer long enough to update my story. Koji and his friends are put into a battle that doesn't involve them. Orochimaru is here, and ready to fight. Will they survive? Read and find out!**

Chapter 3: Revival of a Demon. The Shadow Blades Appear!

_(Hokage Tower)_

"Okay. Here's the rundown of the situation. The main ninja clans of Konoha have all been trapped in their own sections. We are the only one's who didn't get trapped." Tsunade explained. Tenten, Lee, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi were standing, ready for their mission.

"Lee, Tenten. Your job is to free the Hyuuga Compound. With you three, we can begin to retake Konoha." Tenten and Lee nodded. "Sakura, you will head to the Inuzuka Compound once that is done. You will help Hinata save Kiba, and then start on the Aburame District." Sakura nodded. "Kakashi, Naruto. You both will help the Naras out. Shikamaru and Shikaku can only do so much by themselves. After they are safe, help them save Akimichi and Yamanaka." Kakashi and Naruto nodded.

"You three. Spikey Hair will help out Sakura when the time comes. Mummy will be with Kakashi and Naruto. And the girl will do as she pleases." Tsunade commanded. Zaku and Dosu nodded, and Kin smiled. "No going to find Koji, Kin." Dosu said, and Kin frowed at him.

"He's right. He's going out of his way to make sure we're okay. If we're there, he won't be able to concentrate fully on that bastard." Zaku said, and Kin looked to the ground. "I don't blame her though. Sasuke has gotten strong since the Chuunin Exams." Dosu said, and the Konoha nin all gave him a stunned look. "What do you mean!? Sasuke is fighting that weird looking nin!?" Naruto screamed. Dosu sighed, and glared at the Hokage. "You didn't tell them?" Dosu asked, and Tsunade glared back. "Ugh. Sasuke is the one that initiated the attack. In other words, Sasuke is Orochimaru!" Zaku screamed.

_(Near North Gate) _(Side Note: Since Orochimaru is posing as Sasuke, I will call him by Sasuke. When he drops the Transformation, he will be referred to as Orochimaru. Easier that way for me.)

Koji and Sasuke stood in ready positions. Koji's right fist was bursting with electric chakra, while Sasuke stood there, bored, and smirking. Koji bent his legs a little, and some sweat dripped off his face. The moment it hit the ground, they both disappeared in a flash of smoke.

Koji and Sasuke hit kunais in the air, before Koji launched off a tree. Sasuke smirked, and easily dodged the electric fists that Koji was throwing. Koji flipped in mid-air, and threw another punch. Sasuke caught this punch, his Chidori preventing him from being shocked. "This all you have little boy? I thought you would show some more fight." Sasuke said. "Sorry, Clones don't fight all that hard." Koji said, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

_(Hmm. A Shadow Clone. He could be-)_ Sasuke thought to himself, before throwing a shuriken in the tree behind him, causing Koji to fall from it, smirking. "So you found me! Big deal! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Koji said, landing the same time 9 other clones landed, and jumped away. "Now, charge and kill him!" Koji commanded, and his clones all took off, and charged the possessed boy.

Sasuke smirked, and walked towards the clones. When the first one got near him, he kicked it, sending it flying, but it didn't poof away until a kunai to the head killed it. Sasuke then pulled out his Kusanagi and began walking a little faster. Without warning, he activated the Chidori and ran through the clones. He clipped a few, and hit Koji, who hadn't moved from his spot because Sasuke moved so fast.

"Commanding the clones to do the dirty work, eh? Your not very brave, for the amount of bark you have." Sasuke said, and then he felt an electric arm go through where his heart should be. "Your right. I would say I'm not very brave. But I AM pretty damn sly." Koji said, as the one that took the Chidori disappeared.

Much to Koji's chagrin, Sasuke turned into a log, and Koji sighed. "That would have been too easy." Koji mumbled to himself, ducking to avoid the shuriken that were coming his way. They both then stood across from each other. "You know, killing you in a fake form wouldn't make this any fun. I want you to see who it is that's going to kill you." Sasuke said, poofing into what Orochimaru would look like at age 17.

Same pale skin, same evil look, just not as tall, a pair of Sharingan eyes, and a chakra level so pure and evil it couldn't possibly be contained by a normal human. "So, this is really you, eh? Let the fight begin." Koji said, powering his right hand.

Orochimaru and Koji charged at each other. Using nothing but Taijutsu, they were throwing fists and kicks in rapid and blinding movements. After their little warm up was done, they both began jumping to what they did best, Ninjutsus. "Lightning Style: Volt Bullets Jutsu!" Koji said, and began flicking lightning bombs at Orochimaru. Orochimaru dodged the bombs easily enough, but didn't see the other Koji in mid air, making handsigns. When the air Koji was done, he smirked, and the other Koji got the hint. He flicked another bomb, forcing Orochimaru to jump to dodge it. "Got you! Lightning Style: Lightning Gun Jutsu!" Koji in the air screamed, blasting a beam of electricity from his finger, hitting Orochimaru in the back. Orochimaru slid for a few feet, before he lunched himself back onto his feet.

"Shadow Snakes!" Orochimaru said, launching various snakes from his wrists. Koji dodged and sliced these snakes, and charged again. This time, Orochimaru decided to step his game up. Koji was surprised at how fast Orochimaru was now moving. Where he was close to striking him, now he was nowhere close. After he overswung, Orochimaru kicked him nice and hard in the gut, and Koji flew back through 5 trees, and the walls near the North Gate. Orochimaru followed him lazily, and noticed he hid himself in the unnaturally quiet section of Konoha.

"Seems like my men have already gone deep into Konoha. Their destruction is imminent." Orochimaru said outloud. "How sure are you about that?" Orochimaru turned, and Koji was on a rooftop, smirking at the Otokage. "You should never doubt someone if they have been backed into a corner. That's when they fight even harder." Koji said, jumping down and attempting to kick him.

Orochimaru caught it easily, but noticed that Koji was smirking. Out from a window, Koji tried a roundhouse kick to Orochimaru's back, but he ducked under it, and kicked Koji in the gut again. Koji floated in the air, and was kicked again into an alleyway. "Give up, and I'll kill you quickly. I hate wasting my time, and you're no fun." Orochmaru said, walking to the alleyway.

"Funny. An alleyway. The dirty garbage reminds me of the state that poor Konoha is going to be in once I'm done with it." Orochimaru said, before he saw Koji slowly getting up. "You really don't listen, do you? What did I just finish talking about?" Koji said, his hair covering his face. "When you want to see someone show their true strength, you need to back them into a corner. Or in this case, an alleyway." Koji said, putting his hands together into a seal.

"You see, I bet this village won't be dying so easily! From the way that your troops have been moving, my guess is that they have pushed them to the area where the major clans are. And if my tactical mind is correct, they are about to launch a counterattack that will kick you ass!" Koji screamed, his chakra surrounding his entire body, sparks shooting off him dangerously. In the distance, they could hear what sounded like a major explosion. "It's begun!" Koji said, smirking.

_(Hyuuga Compound)_

In the Hyuuga Compound, the Rock Nin had pushed the Hyuugas back into the Main House Chambers. "Come on! The Hyuugas are giving up and retreating!" One of the nin said, leading the charge. When the force made it to the Main Dojo, Hiashi was standing there, eyes closed, and arms crossed.

"What's wrong? Your family has abandoned you?" the Jounin leader asked, smirking. Hiashi said nothing, but he smirked at them. "You would really dare to underestimate the oldest clan in Konoha?" Hiashi asked. He then snapped, and the doors opened, and the doors showed the Branch Family all standing, and ready to fight.

"So, the whole clan has gathered. Good job Neji." Hiashi said, and Neji appeared behind the Rock nin, standing in front of the door the Rock Nin used to get in. "Hn. Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama are safe. My team has asked for me and Hinata's help, so we're heading to the front line." Neji said, and he shut the door behind them. "Hyuuga Clan Members, CHARGE!!!" Hiashi said, and the great comeback had officially begun!

_(Outside Hyuuga Compound)_

Hinata, after meeting with Sakura and Zaku, made their way towards Kiba's home, thinking that they would need help first. When they got near, they stopped when a black dog landed near them. "Eh? Hey! Your Koji's dog!" Zaku said, and Yami glanced at him. Zaku noticed that the dog now had on a dark purple collar. (She didn't have that collar on earlier.) Zaku thought to himself.

"Yes I am. Where is my bonehead master?" Yami asked, stunning both Zaku and Sakura. "YOU TALK!?!?" They both screamed, and Yami sweat dropped. "Where is my dumbass master!?" Yami screamed at them, and they both had dot eyes. "He went to fight Orochimaru." Zaku said.

"WHAT!?!?!?" Yami screamed, and Sakura sighed. "He wanted to protect his friends from him." Sakura said. "DAMN!!!" Yami screamed, using her sense of smell to find Koji. They both sighed, and ran towards the Inuzuka compound.

_(Main BattleField)_

"What the hell is going on here!?" A boy, 16, asked. He was sitting on top of a tree, glancing on the battle with surprise. "Why are Rock Jounin and Chuunin here!?" He asked, getting up, and adjusting the green sweatband on his forehead. He jumped down to meet the 5 Chuunin moving, and landed in front of them.

"Wah! K-kazeyama-sama!?" One of the Chuunin asked. "What's happening here? I thought we were trying to make peace with Konoha." Kazeyama-sama stated, and turned when he saw one of the recently appointed Jounin he knew from the academy in Rock. "Heh. Sanosuke Kazeyama. What a surprise." The Jounin said, smirking at him.

"Iwa! Why are we attacking Konoha?" Sanosuke asked. "You mean you didn't hear? That guy from the Sound promised that we would get to be ruling over Fire Country if we helped him take Konoha. We're merely doing our jobs." Iwa said. "Then why send me as an emissary? To drop their guards?" Sanosuke asked, and Iwa's smirk grew.

"Funny story. You seem to have our Tsuchikage pretty mad at your actions. Trying to say that Konoha was merely acting in self-defense during the Great Shinobi War. He's gone and put a nice bounty on your head." Iwa said, as 9 Chuunin under his command began to surround him. "So that means…" Sanosuke started. "As of the beginning of your mission, you've been branded as a Missing Nin of the Rock Village!" Iwa said, and he saw Sanosuke shaking with what he thought was nerves.

"So, he'd do that, eh?" Sanosuke asked, pulling out a kunai. Iwa and the other Chuunin were surprised when he swiped it across the Rock Headband he had tied around his waist. "Then so be it. You made yourselves a powerful enemy!" Sanosuke said, pulling out an index card with a seal on it. Putting a little chakra into the seal, a giant European style Zweihander shot out of it, and he rested the giant blade on his right shoulder. "If you want me dead, then come and try your luck!" he said, pointing it at Iwa. They all charged at the former Rock Nin.

_(The Inuzuka Doghouse)_

Zaku, Sakura, and Hinata made it to the Inuzuka compound in time to see a giant white dog shoot out of the roof, blasting nin all over the place. "Wh-what the hell is that!?" Zaku asked, intimidated. "That would be Kiba-kun." Hinata said, and Zaku looked at her like 'WHAT!?!?' The giant white dog hit the ground, and turned back into the scruffy looking dog boy and the giant white dog.

"Hey! Hinata-chan! Your alright!" Kiba screamed, hugging Hinata tightly. "Okay, we saved the quiet girl's teammate, now, where is the third one located at?" Zaku asked, impatient as ever. "You mean we're saving Shino?" Kiba asked Hinata. "Of course." Hinata said. Kiba cheered, and took off, and Hinata and Zaku followed.

_(The Aburame Hive)_

They weren't prepared to see the Aburame Home covered in a dome of bugs. The dome was so thick, you couldn't see anything inside of it. Then, as if by magic, Shino and his father, Shibi, appeared in front of them, startling all three of them." Sh-Shino-kun!" Hinata said, startled. Shino nodded, and Zaku glared at him, with white eyes.

"You again!?" Zaku screamed, pointing at him. "That boy from the Chuunin Exams." Shino said. "Hey, you know, he is that boy whose arms you destroyed." Kiba said, as Zaku glared at Shino. "You looking for a rematch?" Shino asked. "I won't lose this time!" Zaku said, pointing his Air Cannons at Shino. "We don't have time. We need to help everyone else." Hinata said, standing in between the two boys.

Zaku huffed, and turned away, while Shibi looked on with amusement. "Hey Kiba, is the rest of your family safe?" Shibi asked, and Kiba sweat dropped. "When I left, they were fighting some of the nins." Shibi and Shino sighed in irritation, while Zaku and Hinata sweat dropped. "I'll go to their aid. Shino, you and your team go and fight." Shibi said, disappearing in a puff of smoke. And so, Team Kurenai were back together, and were off. Zaku shook his head, and left to find Kin and Dosu.

_(Yamanaka Greenhouse)_

Kakashi, Naruto, and Dosu had decided to split up and save the three houses separately. Kakashi would take Akimichi, Naruto would help Nara, and Dosu would save Yamanaka. (This is a pain. From what I can remember, the girl was a loudmouth.) Dosu thought to himself, shuddering. He eventually got use to Zaku's boastful mouth, but even he knew when to shut up. Kin, luckily enough, wasn't into chatting away like most girls, but she still had a short fuse. Some points, those two acted like an old married couple, but he knew hey had a brother-sister bond after surviving the Chuunin Exams together.

(Me, I'm like the grandfather.) Dosu thought to himself with a sigh. After Dosu was revived by that guy in the shadows, he helped Kin and Zaku avoid being used as sacrifices for Orochimaru's Forbidden Jutsu. They wandered the Continent trying to locate Orochimaru's Hidden Base.

The bastard had the nerve to keep their stuff, rather than leaving them behind. Oddly enough, a year ago, they found the Sound Outfits they have on now, left as though Orochimaru knew they were searching for him. (Probably did know. Just felt like jerking us around. The ass-hole.) Dosu thought to himself, preparing for his mission.

_(Nara Estate)_

Naruto made it to the Nara estate, and was actually quite amused at what was happening. Apparently, through a long string of handsigns and chakra, Shikamaru and Shikaku had trapped just about anyone and everyone that tried to get into their area, and were now on the ground, taking a nap. "Like father, like son." Naruto said, chuckling at both of them. "Hey, Shikamaru! Wake up!!!" Naruto screamed, and both Shadow Warriors got up, though a little annoyed. "Troublesome." Both Shadow Masters muttered the usual Nara one liner, and Naruto sighed. "Come on! We need to save the rest of the village!" Naruto said, and Shikaku yawned. "You heard her Shika. Go save the village." He said, and Shikamaru sweat dropped. "Why me?" Shikamaru asked. "One of us has to retrieve your mother from the closet, and we have been asleep for about an hour now." Was all he said before Shikamaru had grabbed Naruto and ran like hell. "…Lucky bastard. Now to find the 'charming' wife." Shikaku said to himself, already counting the number of times the spoon will be smacking him in the head.

_(Akimichi House)_

Kakashi arrived at Akimichi Estate, and witnessed Rock Nin trying to dodge and avoid Chouji and Chouzan rolling around crushing anyone who was near them. Kakashi, realizing he had nothing better to do, pulled out his book and fought some of the leftover nin while reading. Really, these guys were nothing compared to him. After about 15 minutes, they routed the entire force, and took off to find Naruto and Dosu.

_(Yamanaka Greenhouse)_

Dosu found Yamanaka House okay, but it was oddly quiet. He took a step into the nice house, and instinctfully brought his Melody Arm up to block the kunai meant to take his head off. He looked, and saw Ino and Inoichi, their hands in the seal ready for the Mind Disturbance Jutsu, when Dosu raised his hands up in mock surrender.

"Easy. I'm not here to fight." Dosu said, sighing. "Bull! You tried to kill me back from a long time ago!" Ino said, glaring at him. Dosu groaned. "Look. I'm not part of Sound anymore. Geez. I was nearly killed by that Sand Demon." Dosu said. Both looked at Dos weirdly, and he turned his back to them.

"If you don't mind sir, I will be borrowing your daughter." Dosu said, and the sound of a pan meeting skull reverberated through the house. Dosu turned a mono-eyed glare at the two blonds, the younger holding said pan and the older glaring pretty harshly as well. "I was told to bring her by the grey haired Scarecrow." Dosu stated, irritated.

_(I probably should have worded that a little better.)_ Dosu thought to himself. Ino looked at him confused, and Dosu shrugged. "Said something about the Fat One and the Lazy Idiot." Dosu said, walking out the door. Ino, hearing the description of her teammates, ran after him.

_(Meeting Place: Team Kakashi)_

Dosu was the first to arrive, and Naruto was next to arrive and Kakashi was yet again last. "Well, Team Asuma is here, so now we can start working back. Naruto, take them and find the other next generation Leaf Nin." Kakashi said, referring to the rest of the Konoha 11. Naruto nodded, and he left, along with the others. "You, Mono-Eye. Your on your own now." Kakashi said. "You really can't talk. Your as bad as I am." Dosu stated, smirking behind his bandages. Kakashi smiled behind his mask, and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"Here you are!" Dosu turned, and saw Zaku appear next to him, smirking. "Your done? My side has left for the meeting spot." Dosu said. "Good. Now, where's Kin?" Zaku asked, and both of them looked at each other for a food second, before they both smacked themselves in the head. They knew damn well where she was. Now, to find Koji's chakra signature.

_(Near North Gate)_

"You see, trying to fight against Konoha will only bring your downfall!" Koji said, his chakra sparking off him dangerously. Orochimaru smirked, and gave Koji a chilling glance. "Really? Well, what does your optimism say about that?" Orochimaru said, and Koji had to leap onto the building to see that there was a giant three-headed snake approaching Konoha. Orochimaru smirked, and left, while Koji looked at the giant monster approaching,

_(No…fucking…way am I going to fight that thing.)_ Koji thought to himself. Hey, he was sly, but he also knew when he was beat. "Hey, you are going to fight that thing!" Koji turned around, and saw Yami with a scroll in her mouth. "Oh HELL NO!!! I can't fight that!!" Koji screamed with white eyes. "This scroll will make it so! Stop being a wuss!" Yami scolded, rolling the scroll out so that it was laid out.

"This is a Summoning Contract. It came with me in my collar. Sign here, pump everything you have into the seals needed, and pray." Yami commanded, and Koji groaned, but did as told. Once he signed in blood, using his real name instead of his alias, he read the seals needed, and sighed. _(Okay, here goes.)_ Koji sighed, and made the seals, and put everything he had into it.

"**SUMMONING JUTSU!!!"** Koji screamed, and slammed his palm into the ground, and a giant smokescreen shot into the air, and caused a giant explosion. What shot out amazed him, and caused him to smirk. "I got this, DJ. Go find Orochimaru and finish the job." Yami said, and Koji nodded, disappearing.

_(Meeting Place: Konoha 11)_

The Konoha 11 had found each other and, with the help of Zaku and Dosu, began to help the other Jounin push the Rock and Sound Nin back. Then out of nowhere, 100 kunai hit the nin in front of them, and they looked to the roofs to see 4 nin that made 4 certain Leaf nin's hairs stand on end.

"Them!?!?" Naruto screamed, and the four nin landed in front of them. "We killed you guys! How the hell are you alive!?" Kiba asked. "Like we should explain ourselves to a bunch of trash nin like you guys!" Sakon said, and Neji and Chouji stood forward, both giving stern looks.

"You lost to us before, we can beat you again." Neji said, crossing his arms. "Your right. We lost before, but this time, I won't play around with you, little boy." Kidomaru said, and Neji glared at him. Both sides were about to attack, but Kimimaro appeared in between on them, glaring harshly at his nin. "We aren't here to rekindle old enemies. We are here to kill Orochimaru." Kimimaro said, and Kiba sneered.

"Seems like he may be chickening out." Kiba said, and Kimimaro sent him a chilling look that wasn't a glare. "Where's Kin?" Kimimaro asked Dosu. In the confusion, Zaku and Dosu were left out. "She left to look for a friend." Dosu said, and Tayuya frowned. "Don't." Jirobo said, knowing she was going to curse someone out.

"Well, if it isn't my rebellious pawns." Everyone turned to see Orochimaru standing there, looking a smug as ever. "Your looking a little young." Naruto said, sarcastically. "Yes, Naruto-kun. Sasuke made for the perfect body, like I thought." Orochimaru said, and Naruto got real angry. "You trying to pick a fight?" Naruto said, his eyes already turning crimson. Before Orochimaru could respond, there was a loud explosion, and in the distance a giant black three-headed dog was beginning to fight what looked like a giant three-headed snake.

"Hn. That damn boy can summon as well? He's becoming annoying." Orochimaru muttered to himself. "Koji is alive?" Dosu asked. "He should be back there fighting my pet." Orochimaru said, smirking. Then, Kimimaro stepped forward, and pointed a bone blade at the Snake Sannin. "Everyone, go help Konoha. I will stop him here and now." Kimimaro said, and Orochimaru smirked.

"You think you can? Your only a puppet to me." Orochimaru said, and then everyone felt the chakra leaking from Kimimaro. He had only activated the Curse Mark enough to cover his chest, but his increase in power was astounding. "Shit. He's going to fight the bastard for real. Let's go!" Tayuya said, and her crew disappeared. "We should step as well." Kiba said, and the Konoha nin left to continue the fight.

"Zaku, Dosu, find Kin." Kimimaro said, and both nin disappeared. "Your death is what my current master wants, so I must pass that judgement." Kimimaro said, his Curse Mark covering more of his body. "I see. Then I guess I'll play for a while." Orochimaru said, pulling his Kusanagi out of his throat, and brandishing it.

_(Somewhere in the Main Battlefield)_

Kin, who I realized hasn't done anything since she parted from Zaku and Dosu, was running along the battle field, looking for Koji. Before she knew it, she was surrounded on all sides by what appeared to be a combination of Sound and Rock Nin. "Well, looky here. You shouldn't be wandering around by yourself, girl." The leader, Iwa, said, smirking.

"Creep." Kin said, glaring at him. "You hurt my feelings. And here I was going to let you go free. At least, once my men had their way with you." Iwa said, as his men had hungry lustful looks in their eyes. Before anything happened, Iwa was cut vertically across the middle. The giant blade that took his life landed next to Kin, and the boy wielding it appeared on the hilt that was in the air.

"So, Sanosuke, you still live on." Everyone looked to a wooden pole, and saw Iwa there, smirking real evilly. "You think your flunkies can kill me? Dream on. I didn't eve break a sweat fighting them." Sanosuk said, hopping off his blade. "Shame. You're outnumbered." Iwa said. "Heh. Two vs. 45 are perfect odds in my opinion." Sanosuke said, lifting his blade and getting into his stance.

"Girl. I hope you know how to fight. I'm not covering your back." Sanosuke said, ducking to avoid a Senbon Needle that got lodged into an enemy nin's throat. "I can manage." Kin said, smirking at him.

"Damn. These Sound Nin are all over the place." Koji said to himself, knocking Sound Nin around. Deciding that the ground wasn't safe, he jumped to the walls and hit the rooftops. "I guess you're the one Ortochimaru-sama was toying with." Koji turned, and standing in his way was none other than Kabuto. "I don't know who you are, nor do I care. Get out of my way! I'm looking for the freak." Koji said, and Kabuto readjusted his glasses so they gleamed in the light.

"Sorry, but Orochimaru-sama is handling some business. I will be standing in for him." Kabuto said, and Koji smirked. "So be it." Koji said, his chakra leaking electricity.

_(Hokage Mountain)_

"Seems like things have taken an interesting turn." On top of Hokage Mountain, stood two nin. Both faces were covered by the straw Akatsuki like hats they wore. The older one, about the age of Jiraiya and Tsunade, had two silver blades crossing on the inside of his cape, and his partner, 20, had a single silver blade on his.

"The Shadow Blades begin to make a move." The younger one said. "Orochimaru needs to be killed for the safety of our land. Currently, there are only three that can stop him." His younger partner looked at him confused. "I thought there were only two." The younger asked. "You'll see in due time. For now, we must find the Hokage." His partner nodded.

"You think Kimimaro-san can save Sasuke?" The younger one asked. "With the seal I taught him, it will save Sasuke, but then it will be a question of if both of them can survive." They both then disappeared.

ShadowRonin: The war is on, and the battles are beginning to get good. Koji and Kabuto are about to rumble, Kin and Sanosuke get ready, and Kimimaro's leader, the head of the Shadow Blades, makes his move. What will happen next? Tune in to find out! And review. Everytime you review, a kitty is spared.


	4. Konoha Royal Part 1

Yo! Spring Break was boring as hell. Many things ranging from balancing Pokemon and Fire Emblem, remembering to type, and keeping myself within the Top 10000 on Naruto Arena has really left me with no free time! But, because of that, Chapter 4 is up! Let's sit, and enjoy!

Chapter 4: Konoha Royal Part 1: Sasuke's Return, and Tsunade's Old Rival.

_(Main Battlefield)_

"_In order to save Sasuke, you will have to face Orochimaru. Kimimaro, treat this as an S-Rank mission." Kimimaro nodded to the leader of his new gang, the Shadow Blades. Him, along with the Sound Four, had been revived by this enigmatic man, so he had his full gratitude. _

"_Why would we want to save Sasuke-sama?" Kimimaro asked. "It will be vital for when we kill Orochimaru. Sasuke, once he is trained, will have the powers that you now posses, maybe even more." Kimimaro nodded. So, fate rested on if he could save the last Uchiha. He wouldn't fail this mission. He would carry it out._

"Orochimaru, you must die." Kimimaro said, already in his Curse Mark: Level 2 state. "You believe you have what it takes to kill me? You shouldn't make statements you can't keep." Orochimaru said, smirking. "I won't lose." Kimimaro said, charging.

The Bone Blade clashed with the Kusanagi, and Kimimaro created a second one, bringing it over his head. Orochimaru jumped back, and shot some of his Shadow Snakes. Kimimaro hacked through the snakes easily, but didn't realize they were merely a distraction. Kimimaro finished the last snake, and had just enough time to duck under a thrust towards his head.

Kimimaro shot some bones out of his chest, and hit the Snake Sannin. At least, he thought he hit him, but it turned into a log. Kimimaro looked around, and felt a fist his him in the face. Kimimaro slid for a few feet, and flew through a building. In no time, Kimimaro shot through the building, Bone Sword back in hand.

Orochimaru dodged the sword attacks easily, even without the Sharingan eyes. "You are pathetic, Kimimaro-kun. You think you can stand up to me?" Orochimaru said, kicking him and sending him flying. "Foolish puppet. Whoever sent you, obviously has no idea who they're dealing with." And so he began a monologue on how powerful and awesome he was.

_(Near Hokage Tower)_

Tsunade was sitting near Hokage Tower, tired. Of course, she had taken out her fair share of nin, and decided that taking a small break was okay. Shizune, on the other hand, accused her of being lazy as hell.

"Seems like the old woman is still a drunkard." Tsunade and Shizune both stood up, and looked towards where the voice came from. In front of them, stood a man. His face was covered by a samurai hat, and his tone was one of someone teasing. The inside of his cape had two silver swords crossing in the inside of the cape.

"Who are you? How dare you speak to the Hokage in such a taunting manner!" Tsunade said, glaring rather viciously. "Even after all this time, your manners and temper are still rather foul." He said, and they could tell that he was smirking. "Look, whoever the hell you think you are. I am I a pretty pissed mood. My damn village is being attacked!" Tsunade said angrily. "And here you are, sitting and 'taking a break'?" He asked.

Shizune threw a shuriken that was aimed right for his head. Rather than get hit, there was a flash of movement, and another man was in front of him. This one had 1 silver sword on his cape, and a sword out. "I don't want to have to fight you, Shizune-chan, but I don't think you want to pick a fight with us." He said, his jet black hair flowing in the wind.

"Nekobe. That won't be necessary." "But Shiro-sama! She was attacking you!" Both heard gasps coming from Tsunade. "Shiro Masamune!?"

_(Main Battlefield)_

"_The seal you have is to be only used on Orochimaru. But there is a deadly and costly price." Kimimaro loked on as Shiro gave him an oddly calm look. "The moment this jutsu hits Orochimaru, it will be key that you and Sasuke survive, or at least flee."_

While Orochimaru was generically monologing, Kimimaro was slowly powering up. His Curse Mark began glowing a hot white, and they were spreading farther across his body. After a few seconds, a bright light blasted off of Kimimaro's body, and Orochimaru actually began to pay him some attention. When he stepped out of the building he was in, Orochimaru looked a little intrigued.

His clothes, rather than the usual Sound attire, was now a black outfit with a black cape. It looked almost identical to Ichigo's battle attire when he goes Bankai. (Bleach for those who don't know.) In his right hand was a black Bone Blade, and the marks that adorned his body were now gone. "What is this weird power, Kimimaro-kun?" Orochimaru asked.

"This is what happens when you reach the true potential of these Curse Marks. This is what happens when you master it to a point where you can draw it's power without it affecting your body. This, is Curse Mark: Level 3!" Kimimaro said, his chakra actually visibly flying off his body in surges of power.

"I must say. This kind of power is something I never expected from the Curse Mark. You may actually be considered a threat." Orochimaru said, as Kimimaro made a single seal, causing his right hand to glow purple. Orochimaru was ready, but without the Sharingan Eyes, he couldn't see Kimimaro's movements until it was too late. Kimimaro got the purple hand onto his skull, like he was pushing it.

"_You see, Kimimaro, once you get the seal off, Sasuke will become free."_

Orochimaru slid back a little, before Sasuke shot out of his body, as thought they were fused together. Orochimaru fell to the ground, and Sasuke slid for a few feet. Kimimaro zipped over to Sasuke, to make sure he was okay. "Hey, Sasuke Uchiha. Are you alive?" Kimimaro asked, and Sasuke opened his eyes to give him a confused look.

"What? How am I alive?" Sasuke asked. "I used a Body Separation Seal to save your soul. I don't know how your body shot out as well. It was only supposed to knock your soul out." Kimimaro said, and they both turned to see Orochimaru standing, dark chakra slowly leaking from him.

"_But once it's used, you must flee. Once the seal is used, the darkness in Orochimaru's heart will take control of his body. He will become wilder, and lose his will. He will become a being enshrouded in nothing but darkness."_

"What the hell? Is that Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked. Orochimaru was now back in his usual adult body, and he was covered in a powerful black aura. But what really caught both their attention was the fact that his eyes, which weren't yellow, were now dark black, with three blood red commas in them. "They look like my Sharingan Eyes." Sasuke said.

"He should be wild with power, but he isn't. Why is that?" Kimimaro asked. "Because, the darkness that I harbor is something I can control. My will refuses to allow me to succumb to the darkness. I now control it!" Orochimaru said, smirking real evilly.

"This makes things a hell of a lot more a pain." Kimimaro said, and Sasuke sighed. "This is one of those times that winning seems like a long shot, isn't it?" Sasuke asked. "You could say that." Kimimaro said.

_(Near Hokage Tower)_

"So, you do remember me?" Shiro said, removing his hat, so they could see his features. His hair was a dark orange, and came down to his back, like Jiraiya's hair. His eyes were a dark blue, and he seemed to be quite cheerful for someone his age. His partner's eyes were covered by the sunglasses he wore, and he sheathed his sword back behind him.

"You know this guy, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked. "Yeah. Back before I became known as a Sannin, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and I went on a mission to the Cloud Village to kill a man who held important scrolls pertaining to Konoha." Tsunade said. "She had found the guy, and I was the one hired to protect him. We battled." Shiro said.

"You battled her?" Nekobe asked. "Yeah. The guy asked the Raikage for protection, so they asked me to protect him. I was merely doing my job." Shiro said. "What happened?" Shizune asked, and Tsunade looked away, as though annoyed. "They broke off, and Tsunade was left to face me. Though it was tough, I totally owned her ass!" Shiro said, like a boastful child.

"You beat a Legendary Sannin!?" Shizune asked. "Well, I should be able to, seeing as I'm a Legendary Sannin from the Cloud Village!" Shiro said, and Nekobe sighed. "You got lucky!" Tsunade said, indignantly. "Whatever. You lost because I was stronger, and because you were attracted to this sexy beast!!!" Shiro said, showing the V sign.

Nekobe and Shizune sweat dropped, and Tsunade scoffed. "Dream on, bastard." Tsunade said. Nekobe was about to comment on the pink tinge surrounding her cheeks, but decided that watching to Legendary Nin unconsciously flirt with each other was way too amusing. Before anything else was said, a small explosion, and a cloud of smoke appeared behind them, and Shiro smirked.

"Hey, it's Gama-teme!" Shiro said, and Jiraiya smirked. "Well, hi to you too, Neko-chan!" Jiraiya said, and both nin laughed heartily at each other.

_(Main Battlefield)_

Sasuke and Kimimaro were on their last legs. Orochimaru was way too strong for them, even as Kimimaro was at Curse Mark: Level 3 and Sasuke was at Curse Mark: Level 2. "We really don't stand a chance." Kimimaro said. "We need to retreat right? I have a plan." Sasuke said. Orochimaru heard them, and smirked.

"You won't escape. I'll end it here with a new technique." Orochimaru said, flicking his wrist so that his palm was facing the ground. To his opponents surprise, it began charging with dark chakra, that made a hissing sound, almost similar to a snake hissing. "Kimimaro, once the time is right, you'll know what to do." Sasuke said, and Kimimaro nodded, as Sasuke prepared his Chidori.

"Your little bug zapper of an attack won't do anything to me, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru said, smirking. Sasuke smirked, and shook his head. "You really believe that you can kill me? I was holding back!" Sasuke said, praying that Orochimaru didn't call his bluff. "Really? Well, this clash will prove who is the stronger of the two." Orochimaru said, taking a step forward. After that step, both nin blasted from their starting points, leaving a trail of dust behind them.

"CHIDORI!!" "YAMIKIRI!!" Both killer attacks clashed head on, and an explosion blasted. Once the smoke cleared, Orochimaru's hand was holding Sasuke in the air by his chest, the Yamikiri cutting through his chest, into this heart. "Seems like you're the weaker one, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru said.

Sasuke smirked, and coughed. "Really?" Sasuke asked, as his body then turned into a log, causing Orochmaru to smirk like a stalking animal. And so he calmly walked away, the hunt was on.

_(Near Hokage Tower)_

"How have you been, my friend?" Jiraiya asked, and Shiro smirked. "Same as always. Have you gotten any stronger?" Shiro asked. "Of course! I plan on breaking our tie someday." Jiraiya said, and Shizune and Nekobe looked at him, confused.

"What's the score?" "Currently, I'd say 45 to 45." Shiro said, and everyone sweat dropped. "You've beaten Jiraiya-sama 45 times?" Shizune asked. "Yep, the damn frog is persistent." Shiro said, and then Kimimaro appeared in front of them, along with Sasuke.

"Your mission was a success!" Shiro said, excited. "Yes, Shiro-sama. Sasuke is now free from Orochimaru, but there's a slight problem." Kimimaro said. "And that is?" Nekobe asked, adjusting his sunglasses. "It won't be necessary to ask about what happened, Kimimaro. I will just explain myself." Orochiamru said, walking up like a war wasn't even going on. (Which I personally forgot was going on.)

"Orochimaru." Tsunade said, glaring at the Snake Sannin. "My, Tsunade. You have truly become quite the Hokage. Jiraiya, your as annoying as ever." Orochimaru said, smirking at the glare they were both sending at him. Shiro then stepped forward, and smirked. "Long time no see, Piss Eyes." Shiro said, and Orochimaru actually frowned.

"You're here as well? Didn't expect that." Orochimaru said, and Shiro's smirk broadened. "Even after we first met, I never liked you." Shiro said. "Likewise." Orochimaru said. "Tsunade-chan. Take Sasuke and Kimimaro. I'll buy some time." Shiro said, and everyone looked at him, stunned. "You can't be planning on taking him on by yourself, Shiro-sama?" Nekobe asked.

"Are you sure about this?" Jiraiya asked, his tone wasn't of disbelief, but of confidence that his friend would be okay. "Just watch me." Shiro said, and they all nodded, disappearing. "You know Piss Eyes, back when I first met your team, you always seemed to be someone who I would genuinely hate. I don't know why, but now I do." Shiro said, as Orochimaru smirked at him.

"You know now? No need to entertain your thoughts, you will be dead before you can." Orochiamru said, dark chakra beginning to form around him. _(So this is what Kimimaro meant.)_ Shiro thought to himself. "Seems like I can't hold anything back." Shiro said, getting into his stance.

"Your going out of your way for a village that isn't your own?" Orochimaru asked. "Yep, because they are my friends." Shiro said, and he began charging his chakra. "You will die." Orochiamru said. "Then bring it. TAROGAN!" Shiro said, and his dark blue eyes changed to a bright orange, with a black slit going in the middle vertically.

"Those eyes of yours. They are stronger than ever." Orochimaru said, his eyes turning black, with the red commas in them. "You gained a new trick. What do you call them?" Shiro asked. "The Shadow Sharingan." Orochimaru said, smirking. Little do they know, their fight would be postponed due to an electric storm, by none other than the dreadlocked wonder.

ShadowRonin: That's right, Sasuke is back! He's going to play an important role in Orochimaru's death, and in later chapters when I introduce an original gang of bad guys. For now, Read and Review, because every review motivates me to actually update! Later!


	5. Konoha Royal Part 2

**Yo! Ronin is back, with another chapter! The Konoha Battle Royal has begun, and both sides are laying it all on the table. Koji is doing everything to make sure his new friends live, and the Shadow Blades have shown themselves. What will happen? I know, but then again, in this world, I'm God. Let's let the story play out!**

Chapter 5: Konoha Royal Part 2: Summon Brawl. Koji's True Power.

_(Near North Gate)_

"Who has summoned me!?" The giant three headed dog screamed, annoyed that he was awoken from his nap. "Sorry, my lord, but you see, my master summoned you to-" "Wait, someone actually found my summon scroll?" One of the heads asked. "Yes, his name is Koji Hyosuke. My name is Yami. We really need your help." Yami said, and the three headed beast smirked.

"It has been over 700 years since my scroll has been used, and my pups could use some workout. Alright! You've got the powers of the Dog Pack on your side, and the king of the pack, Cerberus, is here to fight!" All three heads screamed, charging the giant snake.

_(Main Battlefield)_

"Listen Four Eyes. I don't have time to play with you. My friends are in danger, and it's my job to make sure that they survive. If you and your leader are so hell bent on stopping me, I will kill you." Koji said, his hands sparking fiercely.

"Really?" Kabuto asked, adjusting his glasses. Koji was getting pissed at Kabuto's calmness, and charged him. Kabuto sneered at him, before unleashing a brutal assault on Koji with chakra enhanced fists. Koji was hit by all the fists, and was sent flying across the roof.

"You fought Orochimau? I find that hard to believe. You're obviously not at 100 percent, and yet you still wish to fight? You fool." Kabuto said, and Koji slowly stood. "You have a strong will, but without any chakra, you can't-" Kabuto's glasses held a glare from the sun when he saw Koji's body beginning to leak electric chakra. Koji was silently muttering shut up, as his chakra began to dangerously rise.

"You know nothing about me." Koji said, as the yellow lightning began pulsing powerfully around his wrists. "My friends are the most important agendas right now. Your leader wants them dead, for some unknown reason. That clashes with my plans. **YOU WON'T HURT THEM!!!!"** Koji screamed, as a blast of electricity shot into the heavens, revealing his current self.

His t-shirt was now dark blue, with the yellow kanji for Spark King on the back. His shorts were still the same, but the force of the chakra being released cut the bandages that were on his legs, and they flew away with the wind. Lightning Wings shot from his back, before disappearing, as though they were never there. Koji's hair now had yellow streaks going through them. _(This power! Who is this boy, and where did he come from?)_ Kabuto thought to himself.

_(Near Hokage Tower)_

Shiro and Orochiamru squared off. Orange slitted eyes glaring at black eyes with red commas. Slowly, both Sannin level nin began releasing their stored chakra, and showing their strength. Before either of them could move, they felt a powerful presence approaching them. Orochimaru didn't even turn to avoid the attack.

"**TWIN LIGHTNING PALM!!"** Orochimaru erected a Shadow Barrier in time as the lightning attack hit the barrier with full force. Orochimaru looked to see who it was, and was slightly annoyed.

"You again? You are beginning to become a serious pain." Koji was there, trying to shatter the barrier. "You think so little of me. I told you I fight to the end." Koji said, his eyes looked a little duller, like he was sort of possessed by this power. Orochimaru growled, and released a blast of dark chakra, sending Koji flyong through the streets.

Before he would pursue, Kabuto appeared. "Orochimaru-sama. We should probably get out of here. The main Clans have begun to fight back, and that boy has pushed the snake back." Kabuto said, and Orochimaru scowled. "Fine, prepare to get out of here. Let the Rock Nin kill themselves for all I care." Orochimaru said, and Kabuto could tell he was pissed. But this Koji. He was something that he had never seen, next to Naruto.

Flashback:

Koji charged the spectacled nin, and disappeared just like that. Kabuto tried to find him, but couldn't find his chakra anywhere. Just then, Koji appeared from behind, and kicked him hard. Kabuto flew off the building, and landed on the ground.

Kabuto looked up, and saw Koji flying towards him, his fists cracking with pure electric energy. He attacked, and a giant explosion ensued. Kabuto was stunned. Koji looked like he caught wind of something before attacking, and merely blasted past him.

End.

"So, Koji is a bigger threat than thought?" Kabuto asked, and Orochimaru sent him a glare so fierce, a lesser man would have shit himself. "That child will be receiving a visit from me. He will learn that you never mess with me!"

Koji slid for what felt like 5 football fields before he came to a stop. Panting, he slowly climbed to his feet, before his entire body just stopped. _(What the!?)_ Koji screamed in his mind. _(My body, it won't move!)_

Indeed, he had become paralyzed from exhausting way too much chakra, and the electric currents stunned his muscles to a point that he became temporarily paralyzed for some time. "Stupid boy. Putting your life on the line for your friends so recklessly." Koji tried to turn his head, but his body would not move an inch. He felt Yami's chakra, and heard his faithful dog growling menacingly at him.

"Don't worry girl. I'm a friend. He's in good hands. I'm a Medic Nin. I know Zaku and his friends." Both Yami and Koji relaxed at that statement. _(A friend eh? Well, I think I can rest my eyes for a few seconds.)_ Koji thought to himself, letting the darkness overcome him.

"You are a brave dog, for being able to control a summon to fight a giant snake." Nekobe said, and Yami smirked in a dog like way. "Okay girl. Let's go find Shiro-sama. I'm sure Zaku, Dosu, and Kin are already there." Nekobe said, and he disappeared, along with the dog.

**ShadowRonin: Yep! That's that! There's the reason that the Sannin Battle was never to be. Koji took a stab at Orochimaru, but didn't even scratch him. What was that power, and who are the Shadow Blades? Don't know, so we'll talk to one of them!**

**Nekobe: Yo. I'm Nekobe Hitokiri! The Blade Medic Nin!**

**ShadowRonin: Blade Medic Nin?**

**Nekobe: Yes. I know Medical Jutsu, rivaling Shizune, and I also know Kenutsu.**

**ShadowRonin: Damn! Seems like the Shadow Blades got some powerful nin in their group.**

**Nekobe: Yep. Sound 5, Sound Trio, Kenjutsu Medic Nin, and the Masamune Master. We can't be beat.**

**ShadowRonin: Okay, so now we know a little more about the Shadow Blades. What they plan on doing though, you'll find out on your own. So drop a line, and tell me what you think!**


	6. Konoha Royal Part 3

**Yo! ShadowRonin is here, and bringing another chapter of Fanficy sweetness! The war is coming to an end. There is only one match left. Sanosuke, an OC that of one of my best friends let me use, is ready to end his fight and cut ties with the Rock Village. Let the chapter, and final part of the Konoha Royal trilogy end!**

Chapter 6: Konoha Royal Part 3: Sanosuke's Duel. Team Zaku's Battle.

"You know Iwa, you've become really annoying. I never thought you would become something like a mindless robot to the Tsuchikage!" Sanosuke said, and Iwa sneered at him. "Even if it wasn't assigned by Tsuchikage-sama, your death by my blade would have been inevitable." Iwa said, pulling out his katana.

"And you plan on settling this with numbers that are way superior?" Sanosuke asked, glaring at Iwa. "You know how it is. We are ninjas. We don't play fairly." Iwa said, and Sanosuke sighed. "You look like you could use a little assistance." Kin and Sanosuke looked towards the top of a building, and saw Zaku and Dosu.

"Dosu! Zaku!" Kin said, glad to see them. "We say not to find Koji, and what does she go and do?" Zaku said, and Dosu sighed. "Nothing much we can do about it. She's too hard headed to listen to basic instructions." Dosu said. Kin semi-glared at their teasing, and Sanosuke gave her a look.

"You know them?" Sanosuke asked. "They're my teammates!" Kin said, and Dosu appeared next to them. "You have business with that guy right?" Dosu asked Sanosuke, and he nodded. "Go. He's all yours. We can handle these guys." Zaku said, and Sanosuke nodded, following Iwa.

_(Somewhere on the Main Battlefield)_

Nekobe flew through the town, trying to locate Zaku, Kin, and Dosu. _(Those three are so amusing. They always cause more trouble than necessary, making it so that me or Kimimaro-san have to save them.)_ Nekobe thought to himself. He searched around some more, trying to find their chakra signatures, before he had a brilliant idea.

"Hey, dog. Can you find the three that this boy was hanging with?" Nekobe asked Yami. _(Wondering how long it would be till the retard human would ask.)_ Yami thought to herself, amused. Yami complied, and began sniffing them out. Finding their scents, she took off, and Nekobe followed her.

_(Main Battlefield: Team Dosu)_

"Who was that boy, Kin?" Dosu asked, and Kin answered while tossing senbon into another man's throat. "He apparently is a Missing Nin from The Rock Village." Kin said. "Why is he here, then?" Dosu asked, pounding the skull of a Sound Nin, and zipping away as Zaku was scoping people from atop the building.

"This is painfully boring!" Kin said, as there were only 12 nin left. Zaku was so busily popping nin from afar, that he never saw one of them approaching from behind, getting ready to slice his head off. Zaku was aware of that nin, though, when his body was sporting a blade going through the center.

"Hn. Never figured you to be the careless type." It was Nekobe. He saved Zaku at the last second. "Ah! Nekobe-sama! Why are you here?" Zaku asked, as Kin and Dosu appeared next to him. "A stupid kid looking to fight Orochimaru really got the bad end of the stick." Nekobe said, pointing at the knocked out body of Koji, in which all three of them sweat dropped.

"Is he alright?" Kin asked. "Of course! Just exhausted his chakra, which caused some sort of electric paralysis. He'll live to recklessly misuse his body another day." Nekobe said, and they all sighed in relief. "Now, to find that boy." Kin said, and they gave her sly looks. "What!?" She asked.

"You sure are chasing quite a few boys, Kin." Zaku said, smirking as Kin's face slowly started to change red. "He helped me when those creeps tried to kill and do all sorts of things to me!" She defended, and Dosu sighed. "What will Koji think, seeing that Kin has the hots for another boy?" Dosu teased, and Kin blushed even harder.

"I don't like him! I like K-" She cut herself off right there, and Zaku, Dosu, and Nekobe smirks got even bigger. "Starts with a K?" Nekobe said, and Kin began to look frantic. "…Kodachi. Yes, Kodachi! Boy are they some nice weapons!" Kin replied, trying her hardest to play this off. "I'm sure they are, Kin." Nekobe said. "Personally, I prefer the katana." He said, brandishing his blade.

"Let's find the Missing Nin. Kin obviously wants to thank him." Zaku said, and Kin shot him a fierce glare.

_(Main Battlefield: Sanosuke vs. Iwa)_

"I never expected things to come to this, Iwa." Sanosuke said, as Iwa smirked at him. "You were always the one who was shown as a rising nin. The next nin to do big things." Iwa said. "That's because I would put in the effort to get stronger. I'm sorry my hard work left you guys in the dust, but I'm determined to get stronger!" Sanosuke said, and Iwa sneered at him.

"You sicken me! I had natural talent! You were the dead last! How did you get to this point!? You must have cheated!" Iwa screamed, and Sanosuke's eyes were covered by his green headband.

"You would accuse me of half-assing to get to where I am today? That is a shot at my integrity, and for that, you WILL die!" Sanosuke said, charging at Iwa, who pulled his blade out. The giant blade clashed with the katana, and Iwa slid back a few feet, before he launched himself at Sanosuke. "Earth Style: Piercing Earth Jutsu!" Sanosuke said, slamming his hand into the ground, causing tremors to create stalagmites to shoot from the ground. Iwa slid between the spikes, and hacked through a few of them.

"Give it up, Sanosuke! You can't possibly beat me! Your skills are second best!" Iwa said, preparing to strike from the air. All he heard from Sanosuke was this. "This ends here. True Form: Diamond Blade!" Iwa said, and he swung his sword. Instead of the two blades clashing, the giant Diamond Blade slashed right through Iwa's Katana, and right through Iwa as well.

"You should never doubted the one that put true effort to get his status of power." Sanosuke said, as he swung his blade around. His brown Zweihander now transformed into a light blue Zweihander with the blade side that looked really jagged. This sword looked to be extremely sharp, and impossible to break. He released his Diamond Infusion Jutsu, and sealed his sword back into the index card.

"You seem to be able to take care of yourself quite well." Sanosuke turned around, and saw Nekobe, Zaku, Kin, and Dosu standing there. "Oh, it's the girl with the tie in her hair. Your team managed okay?" Sanosuke asked. "We're fine. And I found my friend." Kin said, and Sanosuke glanced at the boy being held over Nekobe's shoulder.

"He the one?" Sanosuke asked, pointing at the unconscious nin. "Yes. You can acquaint yourself with him when he wakes up." Nekobe said. "That's fine. I must find the Hokage." Sanosuke said. "Good. We're heading that way ourselves." Nekobe said, and they all left.

Thanks to the fight of said nin, and the bravery of the Konoha nin, Konoha drove back Orochimaru and the Rock and Sound nin. Of course, the village was wrecked, but hey, few lives were lost, and everyone important is okay! The damage this time around won't take as long to repair, and life continues on!

**ShadowRonin: And that, is the end! Now, we take a few chapters to let the Konoha Nin take a break from kicking Sound ass, and taking bad guy names. NOT!!!**

**Koji: Slave driver! I got my ass kicked, and you still have me show up in the next chapter!?**

**ShadowRonin: That's life. It isn't easy, but we live it. So you know! Punch that little purple box in the bottom right corner that leads to reviews.**

**Koji: The review box is on the left side! Get it right!**

**ShadowRonin: …Fuck off.**


	7. A Time to Heal Sort of

**Yo! ShadowRonin is here! The war is over, and everyone who isn't a ninja is helping the ninjas rebuild the village. But wait! Koji won't just sit around and do nothing. He is going to be assigned a mission, along with Naruto and Kiba! Read and Rejoice!**

Chapter 7: A Time to Heal. Koji's Big Adventure w/ Naruto and Kiba.

Koji yawned as he slowly got up. He realized that he was in a room that held white ceilings and walls. Either he was dead, or he had gone insane. "I see you finally woke up." Or he could be in a hospital. "Ng. What happened?" Koji asked, slowly getting up.

"I would like to know. You've been unconscious for a week." Tsunade said. "A week, eh? That's not cool." Koji said, as though it were normal. "You're acting real nonchalant about this." Tsunade said, and Koji smirked at her. "I believe worrying about what's happened in the past is pointless." Koji said, and he noticed the pile of stuff on his bedside.

"Some of the nin in Konoha were grateful for you willingly fighting back the Snake while we dealt with the big guns." Tsunade said, and noticed Koji beginning to get up. "Oh no, you aren't ready to leave just yet! Your charka is still fairly low." Koji heard her, but he didn't want to stay. "How long?" "I'd say about another day or two." Koji groaned.

_(Time Skip: A Few Hours)_

It was now 12:00 noon. Kin, Dosu, and Zaku were visiting the Spark Nin, who has been in this hospital for a week. They found his room okay, but was surprised when they saw Koji sitting on the side of his bed, eating an apple, without a shirt. Zaku and Dosu almost let out a chuckle when they saw Kin turn a very dark red, and avert her gaze elsewhere.

"Hey! You guys finally visit!" Koji said with an **n.n** look. "Sure, we had nothing better to do." Dosu said, and Koji sighed. "What's with Kin? She's turning red as hell. You have a fever?" Koji asked, placing his hand on her forehead. Her blush got even deeper, and there was only one word going through their heads.

(Dense Blockhead.) "So, how long you in for?" Zaku asked. "After today, I think I'm free." Koji said, and Zaku smirked. "You were real banged up." Dosu said. "Yeah yeah. All in a day's work." Koji said. He grabbed a water bottle, and popped it open. "Once I get out of here, I got to find something fun to do." Koji said.

"We would love to stay, but Shiro-sama needs us for something." Dosu said, and the three left. "Well, 23 hours, and 45 minutes to freedom." Koji said, sighing.

_(A Day Later)_

The next day, Koji was freed from the hospital, despite the bandages he had on his face and body. "Seems like this village is so boring and peaceful." Koji said, until he saw Jiraiya peeking in the girl's bathhouse.

"Hey, senile old man who's openly perverse. Why are you being so openly perverse?" Koji asked, as Jiraiya turned to look at him. "None of your business, brat. Shoo!" He said, and Koji gave him a bored look. "Who are you?" Koji asked, as Jiraiya began his usual flashy intro.

"I am the great hero of justice! I am the one lusted by many women and envied by men! I am Jiraiya, the Toad Sage!!" Jiraiya said, his hand outstretched, and his legs spread. There was an ominous wind, followed a tumbleweed rolling by, before Koji turned.

"Let's see how the Hokage handles perverts." Koji said, before Jiraiya was in front of him, smiling. "How would you like a bribe?" Jiraiya asked. Koji looked on, and smirked.

_(Different Part of Konoha)_

How in the hell did this happen!?!? What started as a bribe from Jiraiya somehow came to him infiltrating the Girl's Grand Bathhouse. Oh, but he wasn't alone. Naruto had been fooled into doing this as well. Kiba? He's just along for the ride.

So here was the plan. Using a Transformation Jutsu, they would infiltrate the Hotspring, and get Jiraiya some pictures or stories. But of course, since Naruto is a loud dumbass, Kiba is a wilder version of Naruto, and Koji has horrible luck, something would obviously go wrong.

Well, they infiltrated the place perfectly. Hell, they made it in there without any trouble. But it all went downhill once they came to where the bathhouses were, and heard Sakura and Ino's voices.

"Hey, let's peek and see what they are doing!" Kiba said, and Naruto nodded in agreement. Koji would have argued against, but watching naked girls was something he deemed okay. So, using three holes they made using kunai, they masked their chakra and watched through peepholes.

Sakura and Ino were speaking rather animatedly about something, but they couldn't hear a thing. "Wonder what they are talking about." Koji said, and both of his partners in crime looked at him. "Who knows. Something girly I bet." Kiba said, and Naruto sighed. "I'm hungry! Let's get ramen!" Naruto semi-screamed, and Koji bopped him in the head.

"Shut it! Kiba, did they sense us?" Koji asked. Kiba looked into the peep hole, but they acted as though they heard nothing. "We're good." Kiba said, and Koji gave Naruto a stern look. Then, they began to hear some of the things that Sakura and Ino were saying.

"You know Sakura, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." Ino said, and Koji, Naruto, and Kiba ran to their respective peepholes. "What is it Ino?" Sakura asked. "I think there's something you need to know." Koji and his team were beginning to sweat. This was looking hot.

"What Ino?" Sakura asked. The three boys held gasps when Ino pressed her body onto Sakura's, in a seductive manner. "I want you." Ino said, as they both slowly lowered into the water. This display was affecting the boys real greatly, their little soldiers were asking to come and play.

This little show would have continued, but Koji caught one single movement that screwed them over. Sakura glanced in their direction, and her glance caught Koji's for one moment. Koji's eyes turned to dots, and he looked to Naruto and Kiba, who looked like blood was beginning to flow from their noses.

"Guys, we should leave now." Koji said, grabbing them, and slowly walking away. "How come?" Kiba and Naruto asked as Koji dragged them slowly. Just then, a boulder flew through the wall, landing where the three were just standing. "BUSTED!!!" All three screamed, running for their lives.

_(Another part of the Bathhouse)_

"I knew this was too good to be true!" Koji said. "They knew?" Naruto asked. "Yeah. They were just giving a show to distract us, and then blast us with the rock." Koji said. "Think they know it was us?" Kiba asked.

"**NAAAARUUUUUTOOOOOO!!!"** Sakura screamed, and Naruto began anime crying. "You're dead." Kiba and Koji said. "You guys, if they catch me, Sakura will use her super strength and crush my skull!" Naruto said. "Super strength?" Koji asked. "I've seen it. She created a crater just by punching the ground." Kiba said, and Koji started sweating.

"I say we drop Naruto, and use him as a sacrifice." Koji said, and Naruto began sweating because his tone was dead serious. "I second." Kiba said, and Naruto really began sweating. "You guys are joking right?" Naruto asked, nervous. The sneer Kiba and Koji gave him sent chills down his spine. "Sacrifices must be made for the…" Kiba started before he began sniffing the air.

"Shit!" Kiba said, and Naruto and Koji gave him confused looks. "Akamaru came out of hiding, and plans on helping them." Kiba said, and Koji groaned. "We're dead." Koji said. "What's the plan?" Naruto asked. "What else. **GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!!"** Koji screamed.

_(The area Koji and friends are heading to)_

Tenten and Hinata were getting ready to join Sakura and Ino in the Hot spring, before they saw three nin turn the corner. Koji sharply turned, keeping his top speed. Kiba slid on the ground, and began running. Naruto? He ran along the wall, and began running again.

"Isn't that Kiba and Naruto?" Tenten asked, ignoring Hinata's crimson blush. "Who is the third boy?" Tenten asked. "Pardon!" Koji said, running in between them. "Move it!" Kiba said, barreling between them. Tenten stepped out of the way, but Hinata was clipped, and began spinning like a top. Naruto ran dead into her, and they both tumbled to the ground, spirals for eyes.

A Shadow Clone of Koji appeared, and grabbed Naruto, who had a death grip on Hinata. "What the hell?" Tenten asked, confused. Then, the anime lightbulb went off, and Tenten had a scary look. "Why were they in a **GIRLS ONLY** bathhouse?"

_(Down the hallway)_

"You had to pick up a passenger, didn't you Naruto?" The real Koji said, as his clone was heaving Naruto and Hinata. "Dammit. Drop him off somewhere." Kiba said. "Can't. If I abandon him, he may help them catch us out of spite." Koji said, and Kiba nodded in understanding.

"At least she has clothes on." Koji said. Naruto eventually came to, and realized that they were still in the bathhouse. "Ah! Why are we still here?" Naruto screamed, generating the attention of even more women. "Fuck!" Kiba and Koji screamed, as Naruto regained his own footing.

"Perverts!!" "Jiraiya must have gained a new gang!" "One of them has a girl! Bet he's going to do unspeakable things to her!"

"What the hell was that last one about!?" Naruto screamed. "You mean you have yet to notice that you are holding Hinata-chan?" Kiba said, and realization hit him like a hammer. "You truly are a dumbass!" Kiba screamed. "Just drop her on that bench!" Koji said.

They stopped, as Naruto carefully laid Hinata out. They were about to start running again, but a bar of soap hit Koji dead in the face. Koji hit the ground, and had spiral eyes. Naruto and Kiba sweat dropped, and glanced at each other.

"Tenten." They both said. Naruto tossed a bucket of water on Koji's face, and he jumped up. "Where did you get a bucket?" Kiba asked. "Does it matter? Let's run!!" Naruto screamed, and they took off.

_(Somewhere in Konoha)_

After getting out of there, with their lives intact, they decided to hide out. Kiba hid out at Shino's place, Naruto went to the old Uchiha Compound, and Koji was dead.

"Shit! Naruto and Kiba have a place to wait for the heat to die out. Where can I go?" Koji asked. "You look troubled." Koji saw that it was some boy in a green headband. He also had on the standard Chuunin outfit for the Rock Village. "And you are?" Koji asked.

"Oh, pardon me. I'm Sanosuke Kazeyama." Sanosuke said, and Koji looked at him warily. "Don't worry. I know Kin." Koji smirked, and shook his hand. "I heard the problem at the hot spring." Koji nodded slowly, and Sanosuke sighed. "Let's get ramen." Before he could explain that being in the open is the last thing the girls would expect, Koji shouted a yeah.

"Alright! Food!" Koji screamed, and ran towards Ichiraku Ramen. Sanosuke sat for a moment and began counting. "5…4…3…2…1…" Koji then reappeared, looking a little annoyed. "How do we get there?" Koji asked. "Follow me." Sanosuke said, and he followed him.

_(At Ichiraku Ramen)_

After polishing 5 bowls, Sanosuke and Koji sat. "So, your not from this village. What do you plan to do?" Sanosuke asked. "Well, I plan on traveling the land. I want to see the 5 villages where the Kages hail from. I'm in Konoha now, but I want to see the other villages." Koji said.

"So, you're a traveler?" Sanosuke asked. "Yep! I love seeing the world. So, what about you?" Koji asked. "I don't know. I've been branded a traitor of my village, so I guess I can only travel." Sanosuke said. "Then you should travel with me." Koji said, and Sanosuke looked at him confused.

"You obviously have no particular destination in mind, and I could use someone to travel with. So what do you say?" Koji asked. "Sure. That would be good." Sanosuke said. "Great! Welcome aboard, Sano!" Koji said, and Sanosuke shook his head in amusement.

After finishing their ramen, Koji and Sanosuke were heading back to the inn. "Well, I avoided being killed by killer Konoha Kunoichi, I got to be a Peeping Tom, and I got ramen. Today was a good day." Koji said.

"Apparently, it's going to get bad." Sanosuke said. Koji looked at him confused, before he noticed pink locks near the hotel. Koji looked really panicked, but then calmed down. He used Transformation Jutsu to change his appearance, and they both walked to the hotel.

"This isn't going to work." Sanosuke said. "Of course it is. I've locked my normal chakra and only my electric chakra is running enough so that I don't get stunned." Koji said. "You can do that?" Sanosuke asked. "Desperate times call for desperate measures." Koji said.

They walked to the hotel, and walked by the girls going inside. "Freeze!" Sakura said, and Koji and Sanosuke both froze on the spot. "You, without the headband. Come here!" Ino said. Koji silently complied, and Ino and Sakura looked him over.

"Are you sure Hinata? He's under a Transformation Jutsu?" Ino asked. _(How could they know!? I only have my electric chakra running.)_ Koji thought to himself. "Release!" Tenten commanded, and Koji's Transformation Jutsu went up in smokes. _(Fuck!)_ Koji thought to himself, panicking.

"You were with Naruto and Kiba weren't you!?" Sakura screamed, cracking her knuckles. "Umm…err…Of course not! Who's Naruto and Kiba!?" Koji said, sweating like crazy. He tried to look for Sanosuke, but he was gone in an instant.

"Here's the picture they gave to us about their leader in their scheme." Ino said, and Koji took a look at the picture. _(Damn! This thing is accurate, right down to the eyes.)_ Koji thought in mortification. He was dead. "Umm…yeah…well…" Koji started, before he decided to hell with it.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Koji screamed, and 14 other Koji's appeared. **"SCATTER!!!"** He screamed, and they all took off in different directions.

Koji prayed his plan would work. Before they all scattered, he did a Substitution Jutsu with a nice sized rock, and hid. The girls seemed to fall for the trick, and he walked out of the bush. "Guess I pull victory out of defeat." Koji said. **"SHANNARO!!!"** Koji turned to look, and was hit dead in the face by Sakura. _(Defeat snatched from the jaws of Victory.)_ Koji thought to himself, blacking out.

_(In the Hospital.)_

When Koji came to, he realized he was in the hospital again, and he was bandaged up again. "You seem to be quite good at staying in the hospital." Koji turned, and saw Tsunade looking at him, smirking. "I didn't do this on purpose! Some old perv with white hair put me up to it." Koji said, and Tsunade smiled at him.

"You mean him?" Tsuande asked, and Koji saw that Jiraiya was there as well, looking way worse than Koji was. "Kiba and Naruto explained what happened before the girls found you. I wasn't in time to stop them." Tsunade said.

"Hn. What's happened is in the past. No point in crying over it." Koji said, but he did glare harshly at Jiraiya. "Your lucky I don't hold grudges, old man." Koji said. It was silent for a few seconds, before Koji sighed.

"At least the sights I saw made it all worth it." Koji said, and Jiraiya groaned in irritation. "Lucky Bastard!"

**ShadowRonin: That my friends is Chapter 7. Before I get any reviews asking about it, because I know someone will, Ino and Sakura are NOT gay. There will be no Yuri, and there damn will never be anything close to Yaoi in this, or any of my other fics. Not that I have anything wrong with Yuri. I am a guy after all.**

**Koji: You have a problem with Yaoi?**

**ShadowRonin: In the Naruto-verse, Yes.**

**Sanosuke: How come?**

**ShadowRonin: If any of the characters actually exhibited any signs of being gay towards another character, or admitted to being gay, then it would be okay. But half the shit on this site isn't even logical.**

**Koji: Umm…Shadow-sama…**

**ShadowRonin: Let's touch base, shall we! I'll start with Naruto and Sasuke! That is the most used, and frankly, most biggest piece of sh-**

**Sanosuke: You might not want to go there, Shadow-sama. Though it may be your opinion, some girls, preferably Asian, love that pairing. Besides, some of the people who read this story may like Yaoi. Don't want to single them out, or cause them to write hate-reviews/mail towards you.**

**Koji: Read and Review while we get Shadow-sama to calm down.**


	8. Adventures w Team 7

**Yo! ShadowRonin is bringing it earlier than normal! I was going to wait to update this weekend, but since Acen (Anime Central) is this weekend, I am not going to be typing on anything remotely close to a computer till Sunday Night. So, enjoy, and live as Team Seven, newly formed, starts off things with a mission!**

Chapter 8: Mission w/ Team Seven! Association 15 is Revealed!

Koji yawned at the oncoming morning, and Yami woke as well. Konoha is nearing completion, and life has been really laid back. "Koji Hyosuke?" It was Shizune. "And you are?" Koji asked. "I'm Tsunade-sama's assistant, Shizune." Shizune replied, and Koji gave her a side look. "What does the old bat need my help for?" Koji asked. "Well, it involves an old friend of hers." Shizune said, and Koji looked on, interested.

_(Hokage Tower)_

"So, you want me to accompany Team Seven to a nearby village?" Koji asked, and Tsunade nodded. "Why me?" Koji asked. "Because, Dosu talks about how strong you are. I want to see if this is true." Koji looked behind him, and Shiro approached, along with Nekobe.

"Ah, healer who wears a sword on his cape!" Koji said. "The name's Nekobe Hitokiri." Nekobe said. "And I am Shiro Masamune." Shiro said, approaching the Spark Nin. "How do you know Dosu?" Koji asked. "Because, his team is a part of my group. We are known as the Shadow Blades." Shiro said.

"I see. So, why does this concern me?" Koji asked. "Dosu believes you would be of great help to our little team. I was wondering if you would like to join us?" Shiro asked. Koji looked a little confused. "I don't get it. The Shadow Blades seem like a close knit group. Why include an outsider like me?" Koji asked.

"Because, we could use a little more manpower. Besides, Kin and Zaku talk really highly about you. Dosu does in his own way." Nekobe said. "Well, sure, I guess." Koji said. "Good, but before you can officially become one of us, you need to be a Jounin." Shiro said.

"Eh?" Koji asked. "Don't worry about it. It's not for another 4 months." Shiro said, and Tsunade brought the attention back to her. "Now, you will meet the other 4 members of your little team." Tsunade said, as Team Seven walked into the room. Koji and Sakura's eyes connected, and they both pointed at each other with white eyes.

"**YOU AGAIN!?!?!"** They both screamed. "You know him, Hag?" Sai asked. "He was one of the nin peeping!" Sakura said, glaring at Naruto, who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Your that loud manly pink haired girl!" Koji said, and immediately regretted it.

"You want to try that again!?" Sakura asked, her eyes dead white, and a killer aura radiating off of her. Of course, Koji could have merely apologized, but this chick punched him dead in the face. He wasn't going to be nice.

"I mean, as loud as you are, and as strong as you are, you must be a man-woman. You know, like an Amazon." Koji said. The whole room went dead silent. Naruto began fidgeting nervously, and Shiro and Nekobe walked out, not wanting to get involved. Tsunade and Shizune looked amazed that he would say something like that to someone like her. Sasuke and Sai shook their heads, moving to avoid the crossfire.

"What?" Koji asked, before Sakura screamed a battle cry, and punched the holy hell out of him. _(Humans are really stupid. He provoked her knowing she would beat the snot out of him.)_ Yami thought to herself, watching as Sakura went postal on Koji's ass.

_(Along the way to the village)_

"I know. I probably deserved that." Koji said, as they walked to the village. "I've never see Sakura-chan so angry before. Even I know when to not do something stupid." Naruto said. "What can I say? She reminds me of someone." Koji said.

As that conversation was going, there was another between the two raven haired nin. "So, Sai. You're my replacement?" Sasuke asked. "Not a replacement. Merely another teammate who was there to help return you home." Sai said.

"Hn. So, what's with you and giving weird nicknames?" Sasuke asked. "I'm trying to learn about human emotions. Dickless and Hag are helping me." Sai said. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but kept any comments to himself. "It's weird how similar we look." Sai said. "Agreed." Sasuke finished.

Sakura was still fuming at Koji's usage of words to describe her. _"Manly? Amazon!? I say we kick his ass the next time he opens his mouth!!" _Inner Sakura ranted. Sakura silently agreed. "Hey, Amazon! We're almost there!" Koji screamed, and a vein appeared on Sakura's forehead.

"Do you want to die!? Sakura isn't someone to mess with!" Naruto said. "She is violent, tempermental, has a short fuse, and acts more like a dude than a girl. If I keep letting her know about her faults, she will-" Koji never finished the sentence, because Sakura had punched him again, dead in the face.

_(At the village)_

"You know you deserved that." This time, it was Sasuke who spoke. "Shut up." Koji replied. They had made it to the village, and they had to take Koji to a doctor since Sakura refused to heal him. "Violent bitch." Koji said, glaring at Sakura. "Pompous Jerk." Sakura replied, glaring back at him.

"Pinky!" "Bastard!" "Amazon ass-hole!" "Loudmouth shithead!" Sasuke and Naruto looked on, amused.

"I never knew someone could get Sakura so mad." Naruto said. "Seems like this guy knows how to piss Sakura off." Sai said. "They fight like a married couple." Sasuke said, and all arguments stopped, as both of them turned away from each other, blushing from both embarrassment and anger.

"Wow Teme! You knew how to get them to stop?" Naruto asked. "No. They literally act like my uncle and aunt used to. They would fight, but they loved each other dearly." Sasuke said, walking away. "I bet Sakura-chan and Koji would make a cute couple!" Naruto said, and Sakura bopped him in the head, while Koji flipped him the bird.

_(A few hours later)_

Well, the nin that they were sent to fight were complete chumps. Hell, they were as strong as mercenaries, and the 5 nin even began a bet to see who could take the most out. Sasuke won, and since Naruto had the least, he paid for dinner. Of course, Sai and Koji never let him live without knowing Yami got more kills than he did.

It was now 10:00 at night, and they were asleep, at least, Koji pretended to be. Something was bothering him, like he was being summoned somewhere. Putting his clothes back on, he snuck out the hotel silently. Unbeknownst to him, Sakura saw him leave, and silently followed him. Masking her chakra, she followed him, keeping him within eye range.

_(Somewhere just outside the village)_

Koji walked out to a forest, and stopped. "I know you're here! Now come out!" Koji said. And then, out of nowhere, 15 people in black cloaks appeared. "So, he actually came here." One of them said.

"Who are you people?" Koji asked. "Well, we are known as Association 15. We are a gang who plan on taking over this nice continent." One of them said. "Why are you sending indirect messages to me?" Koji asked.

"Because, you may become a threat to us, if you decide to become a Shadow Blade." One of them said. "We don't have time to deal with you now though." Another said, and they all disappeared. "Wait!!" Koji screamed. He took 5 steps, before one of them appeared, using the dark portal they warped in.

"What? Only one?" Koji asked. "Another approaches." The cloaked man said, and another dark portal appeared. The second nin was moon walking towards them, using some sort of power to play disco music. Koji sweat dropped, and the first hooded man sighed. "Idiot." He said.

"Now T.K! That's not a very nice thing to say!" The other nin said, pulling his hood down, to reveal a giant afro. Koji had a o.O look. "The hell!?" Koji said. "You don't look like you have much groove in your body, little boy. Leader wants you tested, so we will test you!" The fro man said, tossing his robe aside, revealing a dreadful purple outfit that would have been home in the 70's.

Koji looked like he was having a twitching fit. "Is he serious?" Koji asked, looking at T.K, who kept his hood up. "Sadly." T.K said. "Now, let the music play!" The disco weirdo said, snapping his fingers. After a few seconds, an upbeat disco like song started playing, and the fro fighter began moving to the beat.

"You face Sidestep, the funkiest groovester on this continent!" He said, striking a pose. Koji's eye was twitching viciously.

Sakura was looking on, worried. These two nin were pretty strong, and Koji was on his own against them. "Hey! You! Quit spying!" Sidestep screamed, tossing some shuriken. Sakura jumped out of the way, revealing herself. Koji looked, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Sakura!?" Koji said, and then he turned to the two Association nin. "Leave her out of this." Koji said. "Agreed." T.K said, disappearing. He reappeared in front of Sakura, and stood in her way. "Don't get involved." T.K said. Sakura glared at him, and he ignored it. "Between Sidestep and Koji." T.K said. Sakura couldn't do anything without this guy getting in the way, so she merely looked on.

Koji was getting annoyed. This guy was merely dancing there, and he was ready to fight. Deciding to hell with it, he charged. He threw a punch, but Sidestep slid out of the way, like he was dancing. He even counter attacked with a kick to Koji's gut, knocking the wind out of him.

The force of the kick sent Koji flying back a few yards, before he fell to his knees, catching his breath. (What the hell? That freak just knocked me the hell out!) Koji thought to himself. He jumped back up, and smirked.

"Okay, I underestimated you. Now, I'm going to go at you for real." Koji said, his hands pulsing with electric chakra. He charged again, this time moving unpredictably. Sidestep took one step forward, and began dodging the punches and kicks that Koji was sending.

"How?" Sakura asked herself. This afro disco freak was dodging everything that Koji was throwing, and making Koji look like an idiot. She turned to look at T.K when he muttered something to himself. She didn't catch it, but turned when she heard Koji scream in pain. He had been kicked again, and flew into the air. But instead of falling, he poofed into smoke, signaling that he was a Shadow Clone.

Sidestep looked confused, and never saw Koji coming from behind, ready to take his head off. Koji would have succeeded, if T.K had stayed put. As Koji was in mid-air, T.K appeared in front of him. Alarmed, Koji never got to defend himself, as T.K kicked him with his heel.

Koji floated in the air, before T.K roundhouse kicked him, sending him through 2 trees and into a third one. Sakura ran to him, checking to see if he was still alive. "Koji! Koji! Say something!" Sakura said. "…ng. Something." Koji said, smirking. "Baka." She said, using her healing jutsu to heal him.

"Did you catch that at all? He moved so fast I didn't get to react at all." Koji said, and Sakura shook her head. "I saw nothing either. He's really fast. Lee might be the only one to match his speed." Sakura said. "I'm not fast enough to catch him." Koji said to himself, sighing. "Fight." T.K said, tossing his robe off. His short orange hair spiky. He had a white muscle shirt, and what looks like blue jeans.

"I'll hold back." T.K said, and Koji got peeved. Koji jumped up, and T.K placed his hands into his pockets. "Bring it." T.K said, and Koji smirked, electricity pulsing through his hands and feet.

_(In Konoha: While Team Seven is walking to the village)_

In Konoha, Sanosuke was sitting, polishing his blade. Rock Smash was a blade given to him by his sensei, who was a master of a ton of weapons. Sanosuke chose the Zweihander because the blade was a rare find in any other part of Element Continent.

The only other place such blades existed was in Mist, with the Seven Mist Swordsmen. Sanosuke was amazed that his sensei had such a weapon, but he felt the blade calling to him.

"Rock Smash, we've been through quite a bit, haven't we?" Sanosuke said, sighing. He was about to continue wandering Konoha, until he saw Hinata in the distance, striking a wood post. He sealed his blade, and went to observe her. Hinata was striking the post with everything she had, and her hands were taking a beating.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard." Hinata turned around, and saw Sanosuke there, smiling at her. Hinata averted her gaze, and Sanosuke looked confused.

"You submissive or something?" Damn, that was pretty blunt. Hinata looked at him confused, and he shrugged. "Shy?" He asked. She didn't say anything, and decided to try another approach. "So, you know Naruto Uzumaki?" Sanosuke asked, and the girl lit up like a light. A red light, that is.

_(Ah ha!)_ Sanosuke thought to himself. "Does the little lady like Naruto?" Sanosuke asked, and Hinata turned even darker. "Does he know about this?" Sanosuke asked, and Hinata looked to the ground, depressed.

_(Good thing I'm good at reading body language. She's as chatty as a mime.)_ Sanosuke thought to himself, sighing. "You obviously have big time self esteem issues." He checked her reaction, and frowned when she lowered her head in shame.

"But I can help you. I'll help your esteem and help you get Naruto." Sanosuke said, and Hinata looked at him stunned. "Don't thank me! I live to help others." Sanosuke said, and Hinata smiled at him.

_(Besides, Sensei would do the same.)_ Sanosuke thought to himself. "Besides, Koji should be back from his mission tomorrow. He would also probably help out."

_(Present time)_

Koji charged the laid back nin, pretty mad about the fact that he was standing there, with his hands in his pocket. As he threw his punch, T.K dodged it, and kicked Koji dead in the gut. Koji reeled from the blow, and fell to his knees.

_(Sheesh! He kicked me harder than the other guy!)_ Koji thought to himself, letting electric chakra run through his muscles. When he got up, he took one step, before he shot off, disappearing.

T.K was a little caught off guard, but he managed to duck under the punch that was coming for the back of his head. T.K jumped back, and began dodging the punches. This was hard because Koji was actually moving as fast as he was currently. Eventually, Koji threw a punch that he couldn't block, so he had to pull his right hand out to block it.

"Stronger that I thought." T.K said, and Koji smirked. "Don't underestimate me." Koji said, and T.K smirked. "Won't hold back!" T.K said, tossing Koji's fist aside, and blasting him. _(Oh shit! He wasn't moving as fast as he could!?)_ Koji thought to himself, sliding before T.K could hit him.

He caught the kick T.K aimed at him, and kicked him dead in the face. T.K slid on the ground, before he disappeared from sight. Koji lost him for one second, and that was more than enough time. T.K appeared under him, and kicked him in the gut, sending him into the air. He then jumped up, and kicked him into some trees.

The last one he hit, the back of his head ran into it really hard, giving him a concussion. "KOJI!!!" Sakura screamed, running to the unconscious nin. His eyes were open, but they were glazed over. He was completely unaware of the world around him. "That was harsh." Sidestep said, looking on. "Had to be done." T.K said, putting his hands back into his pockets. "He hit his head."

Sakura was shaking Koji, but he wasn't responding at all. Using the Medical Scan Jutsu, she was relieved that his brain wasn't messed up or anything like that. T.K and Sidestep walked towards them, and Sakura stood in front of them, with a determined look on her face.

"You plan on stopping us little girl?" Sidestep asked, smirking. Sakura glared at them, and before anything happened, attacks were called from the skies. "Chidori!" "Rasengan!" Sidestep and T.K jumped out of the way to avoid the attacks.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura screamed, and both glanced at her. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan! We've got your back!" Naruto said, and both turned to look at T.K and Sidestep.

"Okay, we don't have time for you little punks!" Sidestep said, grabbing his black cloak, and tossing T.K his. "Later." T.K said, and both nin disappeared in a portal of darkness.

_(The next day)_

In the morning, Koji awoke, yawning. "Ng. My head hurts." Koji mumbled to himself. "Stupid boy. You would go out on your own, all because of some summoning?" Yami of course scolded him, but he acted like he never heard her.

"Where are those two nin?" Koji asked. "How should I know? Only Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto arrived at around 10:20 last night." Yami said, and Koji sighed. "I didn't think they would come and get me." Koji said. "You obviously don't think to much of these people. That girl with the pink hair stayed up well into the night just to make sure you were okay." Yami said.

"You mean Sakura? Nah! She wouldn't waste that kind of-" Koji started before Yami cut him off. "Look in the corner." Koji turned, and his eyes widened. Sakura was on the couch, asleep. "She's been in here the whole time?" Koji asked. "She's a weird one. The blond and the dark one insisted she go to bed, but she was adamant about making sure you were okay." Yami said. Koji smiled, and laid back onto his bed.

"Well, it would be bad to let such an early rise go to waste. I'm going to go back to sleep." Koji said. Before his head could even hit the pillow, Naruto blasted through the door. "WAKE UP!! We finished the mission! I want to go home and eat Ramen!!" Naruto screamed. Koji shot up, an anger vein right on his forehead.

"Naruto. It's 6:30 in the god-damned morning! I don't like to wake up for retarded reasons!" Koji said, fixing Naruto with a fierce glare. "Sorry. But a ninja must always rise and be ready for anything." Naruto complained.

"Yes. And a ninja is also capable of breaking his foot in the ass of someone being very annoying! Now, which one should I do?" Koji asked, smirking real evilly at Naruto. They both then felt the presence of dark chakra. In the corner, Sakura was slowly rising, and boy was she looking pissed.

"Naruto! Koji!" She said both names real slowly, and both nin began to sweat profusely. "He did it!" They both said, pointing at each other. Sakura screamed a battle cry, and attacked.

_(The road towards Konoha)_

At 11:00, Team Seven along with Koji and Yami began their trek back to Konoha. Koji and Naruto were sporting some serious bruises, and bumps, courtesy of Sakura rampaging on their asses.

"Dickless, you and Dreadlocks are seriously loud in the mornings." Sai said, and Sasuke smirked. "They saved us the trouble of waking Sakura up, though." Sasuke said, and Naruto glared at him. "Who'd have guessed the Amazon wasn't a morning person?" Koji said, and the fierce glare he received shut him up.

"So, what now?" Sai asked. "Ramen for a job well done!" Naruto said, and everyone else agreed for the sake of shutting him up.

**ShadowRonin: And so, Association 15 is born. These guys are going to be just as much of a pain in the ass for Koji as Akatsuki is or Naruto. They want him dead. He just wants to survive this. Let's watch as this whole thing plays out. Review, and I will see you all after Acen!!!**


	9. The Bet That Stunned All

**Yes!!! Ronin is back, with a new chapter. I've been neglecting the story since mom needed the laptop for a lecture, and I was also busy playing Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen 4. Getting my ass kicked by people who have played the game got my competitive juices going, so I got a copy of the game and a loader. But that's not why you all are here. You are here for a chapter. So, here we go!!**

Chapter 9: The Bet That Stunned All!

Naruto and Koji were walking around in Konoha. They had finished eating their ramen at about 1:00, so Team Seven decided to do whatever on their own. "You know Naruto, I notice that you thrive on Ramen." Koji said. Naruto looked at him.

"Because Ramen is the greatest thing on this great planet!" Naruto said. "That sounds like addiction talking." Koji said, smirking at him. "I am **NOT** addicted to Ramen!" Naruto screamed. "Willing to bet?" Koji said.

"Sure! I go the rest of the day without ramen, and you go the rest of the day without being a smart-ass!" Naruto said. "Deal!" Koji said, and they shook hands. "Neither of you will survive the rest of the day." They both turned, and Sasuke and Sakura appeared.

"What do you know, Teme?" Naruto asked. "I bet you couldn't go a day without being cold and boring." Koji said, and Naruto smirked at Sasuke. "He couldn't, and we all know it!" Naruto said, and Sasuke smirked. "You're on!" Sakura looked on with amusement.

"What you smirking at, Amazon?" As a reflex, Sakura bopped him on the head. "I bet Sakura-chan couldn't go a day without being violent!" Naruto said. "I can contest to that." Koji said, and Sakura smirked. "Fine!" Sakura threw her hand in.

"The winner gets 1500 ryo from the losers!" Koji said, throwing his hand in. "Don't cry when I win!" Naruto tossed his hand in. "I won't lose." Sasuke said, putting his hand in as well. "Let's go!" Koji said, and they all smirked.

_(Somewhere in Konoha)_

Koji walked around town. Since being cynical only came when he was around his friends, wandering around town would save him the need to talk. "Hey, Koji!" Koji turned around, and saw Sanosuke walking to him.

"Can I ask you to help me with something?" Sanosuke asked. "What's wrong Sano?" Koji asked. "You know that one girl, the one with the white eyes?" Sanosuke asked. "Yeah, I've seen her before. Why?" Koji asked. "She needs help with self-esteem. And since you're so full of yourself, I thought you could help." Sanosuke said, taking a shot at Koji.

Now normally, Koji would reply with a smart remark, but he knew that the walls had ears. (Meaning Sakura for sure would tell Ino, Tenten, and Hinata about their bet)

If Hinata was there, she would be closely listening. "Alright, I'll help." Koji said, and Sanosuke looked a little confused about the fact that Koji didn't reply to his taunt. "A bet." Koji said, and Sanosuke kind of got it.

_(Somewhere else in town)_

Naruto and Sasuke were walking in town. Sasuke's house was empty of food, and Naruto had to go shopping since his house was full of ramen. "Let's go, Teme! You walk to slow!" Naruto said. Sasuke sighed.

"Okay Naruto." Naruto and the whole community around them stopped in stunned amazement. Sasuke Uchiha, ex-Missing Nin, Ice Cube, and all around bad-ass, had just been nice. _(Woah, Teme is serious about the bet.)_ Naruto thought to himself. _(My reputation is going to be shot in the foot for this. My ego and pride will also be hurting if I lose. Catch 22, I guess.)_ Sasuke thought to himself. Naruto and Sasuke walked into the grocery store, Sasuke doing his best to ignore the talk of him going soft.

"I know what to get!" Naruto screamed. "No ramen, Naruto." Sasuke said, and Naruto stopped, as a cold sweat began to drip. "No ramen Naruto" was chanting in his head. "F-fine." Naruto said, and Sasuke could see he was going to break first.

_(Somewhere else in Konoha, near Koji actually)_

Sakura was sitting with Tenten, Hinata and Ino in a café, laughing at the fact that this bet would be easy for Sakura to win. All she had to do was stay away from Koji and she would for sure win.

"You're plan is fool proof, Billboard Brow! You can't lose!" Ino said. "As long as that idiot isn't near me, I can't lose." Sakura said. "Speaking of idiots." Tenten said pointing outside. They all looked outside, and saw Koji and Sanosuke approaching them. "Hey Hinata, Koji agreed to help." Sanosuke said, and Hinata nodded.

"Hey! He's that kid who was peeping a few days ago!" Ino said, cracking her knuckles. "I think we owe him some bruises." "Now now, I need him to be alive so we can help Hinata." Sanosuke reasoned. "Besides, Amazon has given me more than enough bruises for one lifetime."

The only thing preventing that from being a smart remark was the fact that Koji's tone was normal. Sakura was trying her best not to jump over the table and beat the hell out of him. "Let's go." Sanosuke said, and Hinata followed him.

"Later Sakura-chan!" Koji said, winking at her. Instead of the expected yelling and ass kicking that should have produced, she blushed, and turned her head away. _(Hmm.)_ Ino and Tenten thought on this reaction.

"You really pushed it with that last comment." Sanosuke said. "I know. I really thought she was going to kick my ass with that last one." Koji said, scratching the back of his head. "No mercy during a bet." Sanosuke said. "Wait until I run into Naruto or Sasuke. I'm really going to do them bad." Koji said.

Hinata listened to all this, with interest. It amazed her that this boy could be so sure of himself. "So who's in this bet?" Sanosuke asked. "Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. I can't be cynical, Sasuke can't be Sasuke, Naruto gets no ramen, and Sakura can't be violent." Koji explained. Sanosuke chuckled at the bets, and knew at that moment, Koji would be tested to the extreme.

Hinata heard the conversation, and smiled in her mind. _(Naruto is in a bet with him? Maybe I can help him win.)_ Hinata thought to herself. Koji didn't like the gleam that he saw in Hinata's eyes the moment they glanced at each other.

_(Back to Naruto and Sasuke)_

"You okay Naruto?" Sasuke asked. Naruto looked like a wreck. Without any thoughts of ramen, he looked like a shell of the man he once was. The village noticed the state of two of their strongest nin, and was worried that the apocalypse was coming. Naruto wasn't eating ramen, and Sasuke was nice. Somehow, the Hokage got wind of this, and sighed.

"Seems like those two are causing trouble yet again." Tsunade said. "You mean the Kyuubi kid and the last Uchiha?" Nekobe said, walking in. "And where were you?" Tsunade asked. "Do you really want to know?" Nekobe asked, as Shizune walked in, flushed and sweating.

"What did you two do?" Tsunade asked, getting more amused when Shizune began blushing even more. "That's between us." Nekobe said. "Go summon that idiot Jiraiya and see if Shiro is still in town." Tsunade said, and Shizune disappeared in a poof of smoke. "What did you do to her?" Tsunade asked.

"She looked a little tense, so I gave her a massage. I didn't think she would enjoy it that much." Nekobe said, and Tsunade sweat dropped. "Eh?" "Shiro-sama taught me how to give one hell of a massage. Great for seduction, and stealing information from females enemies." Nekobe said, and Tsunade sighed. "Of course, only someone as perverted as him would know something like this."

_(Back with Koji and Sanosuke)_

Koji had to hold his sides to prevent side cramps from all the laughing he did. Him, Sanosuke, and Hinata were in town when Naruto and Sasuke were leaving the store. Naruto, in his opinion, never looked so pathetic. Hinata, of course, was a little miffed that Koji would make fun of Naruto, so she decided to make him break his bet.

"Okay, now what's wrong with Hinata?" Koji asked. "She has a slight inferiority complex." Sanosuke muttered to him. "I'll see what I can do." Koji said. "Hey, Hinata, can I ask you something?" Koji asked, and Hinata gave him a bored look. "Sure, but I can't guarantee an answer." Hinata deadpanned, and Koji had to hold himself back to prevent the retort he had ready.

"…Okay, is there anyone you like?" Koji bluntly asked. "That's none of your business." Hinata replied. Sanosuke snickered, while Koji almost retorted. "Fine. Is there anyone that verbally abuses you?" Koji asked through gritted teeth. "Why would you care?" Hinata asked.

"You enjoy this?" Koji asked. "What?" Hinata asked in a sing-song voice. _(Koji's going to crack.)_ Sanosuke thought to himself. And so, the rest of the session went exactly like that. Koji would say something, and Hinata would back-sass him, slowly cracking his resolve.

At 3:00, Sanosuke could see the smoke over Koji's head thanks to pent up frustration and the need to talk some shit. _(Convenient, here comes Ino and Tenten.)_ Sanosuke thought to himself, as said nin approached them. "Hey guys. Neither of you did anything perverted to Hinata, right?" Ino said.

Ouch. That was a low blow, and Koji finally snapped. "Says the girl who wears nothing but bandages under her skirt?" Koji retorted. (Anyone who really pays attention to Ino's clothes knows exactly what I'm talking about!) "And I don't want to hear it from the talking panda!" Tenten and Ino looked at him stunned.

"You cracked." Sanosuke said, and Koji smirked. "Feels good to be back!" Koji said. "I'll warn the Hokage that you'll be seeing her in a little while." Sanosuke said, walking away. "Why?" Koji turned around, as Ino and Tenten charged him. **"OH SH-"**

_(Back to Naruto and Sasuke)_

Sasuke and Naruto were wandering the village. Well, Sasuke was walking, Naruto looked like he was having trouble merely moving. They both saw Koji walking up, covered in bandages.

"I lost." Koji said. "Huh?" Naruto asked. "I was prodded until I could take no more." Koji said. "That's too bad." Sasuke said. "Sakura did this, I know it! So I'm going to knock her out first." Koji said, before he grabbed something out of his pocket.

"Here, 1500 ryo and a pack of instant ramen." Koji said. Naruto dove like a madman for the ramen, and ate it in one gulp. Sasuke and Koji sweat dropped. He sounded like he was possessed by a beast. Once done, Sasuke smirked. "You're out." Sasuke said. "He cheated!" Naruto said, pointing at Koji. "Yeah yeah! All's fair." Koji said, walking away.

_(Back with Sakura)_

Koji found Sakura, chatting with her friends. _(You're going down, bitch.)_ Koji smirked to himself. He walked towards them, and inwardly smirked when they noticed his presence. "Hey girls!" Koji said. Ino and Tenten glared viciously at him, and Hinata gave a triumphant smug look at him.

"Glad you can do something besides being a smart-ass, Hinata." That was something like a backhand, and the flinch Hinata produced said so. "Hey! Watch what you say to Hinata!" Ino screamed. "Or what?" Koji asked. "Or we'll kick your ass!" Tenten said.

"I was just saying that Hinata isn't being submissive or whatever it is that Sanosuke said." Koji said, and Hinata looked at him confused. "He said you were shy and lacked confidence, but yet you were pretty arrogant towards me. If you keep that mindset, you can get over anything. Just less arrogance." Koji said, and Hinata smiled at him.

"At least you're womanly, unlike a few other girls in here." Three sets of glares were right in front of his face, and he decided to seal the deal. "But don't worry, Amazon has you all beat in manliness!" Koji said. Sakura, you could hear the snap, attacked and beat the shit out of him.

Sasuke smirked at his friends. Naruto was eating another bowel, Sakura grudgingly giving up the money she owed, and Koji wearing a bandage around his head and all over his body. "Looks like I win." Sasuke said. "Ah, can it, Chicken Head." Koji said.

"You brought it upon yourself." Naruto said, eating his ramen. Koji sighed. "Couldn't be helped." Koji said. "You didn't have to take me out!" Sakura said, and Koji smirked. "And let you win when I couldn't? I don't think so." Koji replied. "Bastard." Sakura said. "Don't worry your pink head over it." Koji said, and Sakura glared at him.

"Stop teasing Sakura-chan." Naruto said. "But if I don't, who will?" Koji said. "Look, there's so much sexual tension here, it's suffocating. I'm heading home." Sasuke said, walking away. Koji and Sakura were stunned silent. "Teme's right. You both need to stop hitting on each other, and just go out." Naruto said. Sakura blushed, but Koji glanced at him.

"We'll go out when we feel like it." Koji said. Notice how he didn't deny wanting to go out with her. Sakura blushed even harder, and Naruto chuckled. All in all, it was another normal day.

**ShadowRonin: And that is the current chapter. Koji has become what looks like a member of Team 7. Yes. This is something of a filler chapter, and I think the next one will be also, but they are only there because I love making people wonder what big thing will happen next. Don't worry. When the time comes, things will be all the more exciting.**


	10. Konoha Sports Fest!

**Here it is!!! An actual chapter!! Though some may see this as another filler, the last section transitions into the next arc. Shiro and the Shadow Blades won't become really important until the Third Arc. (Around Chapter 25-30, I estimate) But Shiro will make a short appearance in this chapter and have a major role in the chapter after this one. For the time, enjoy, the fic, and prepare to be stunned.**

Chapter 10: Konoha Festival! Green Team vs. Blue Team!

The next day, Koji and Sanosuke walked through the village. "Something big is happening today." Koji said, and Sanosuke sweat dropped. "I never would have guessed." Sanosuke said, as they looked at the giant banner that held the Konoha Sports Festival. "Sports, eh? This might be fun! Come on Sano! Let's join the fun!" Koji said, grabbing Sanosuke's wrist, and dragging him with him.

_(Town Square)_

"Welcome to the Konoha Sports Festival! The only Festival that will be televised for the whole day!" Tsunade said, and everyone began cheering. "What's happening?" Koji asked, as him and Sanosuke began walking. "Seems like the Hokage is planning something big." Sanosuke said, and then they were both pulled up by the backs of their shirts.

"Congratulations! You two have been chosen to participate in the festival games!" Tsunade said, smiling at them. "Wh-what!?" They both said, before she tossed into what looked like a warp in time and space. When they shot out, they were sitting next to the Konoha 12. "You too?" Naruto asked. "Yep." Koji said.

"So, what happens now?" Sanosuke asked. Just then, a giant visual of Tsunade appeared in front of them. "A Genjutsu!" Sakura said. "Now, let's pick sides for the great battle to come. Neji, you're Blue Team Captain, and Sasuke, you're Green Team Captain. Good luck!" Tsunade said, and everyone sighed. Neji and Sasuke chose teams, and they were this:

Blue Team: Neji, Lee, Shino, Chouji, Sanosuke, Tenten, and Hinata.

Green Team: Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Koji, Sakura, and Ino.

"Now, Round 1: Extreme Ninja Dodgeball!" Tsunade said, and they were Genjutsued into a High School Gymnasium, where each side had 2 red rubber balls. "What do we do with these?" Naruto asked.

"This!" Lee screamed, tossing the ball, and getting him dead in the face. "Naruto's out!" Ref screamed, and everyone began the battle. Time Limit: 5 Minutes! Neji tossed a ball, but Koji caught it and sent it flying back, but Lee used Leaf Hurricane and sent it back with 10 times the power, hitting Sakura dead in the face.

"GAH!! Sakura-chan!!" Lee screamed, rushing to make sure she wasn't dead. "CHA!!!" Sakura screamed, throwing a ball and hitting Lee dead in the head. The Sakura Lee hit transformed into her right shoe. "Lee out!" Ref said, and Lee was dragged away.

"Substitution." Sasuke said, and ducked to avoid the ball. Tenten pulled out a scroll, and jumped into the air. She rolled her scroll out, and turned all her normal weapons into dodge balls. Sasuke's team sweat dropped. "Oh shit!" Koji screamed.

She began grabbing and tossing balls. Sasuke dodged them easy enough with Sharingan. Shikamaru and Kiba dodged them okay, Koji used Shadow Clone Jutsu to shield the real Koji and Ino. Sakura also ducked under the Koji shield. Once the last ball was thrown, Koji whispered to Ino, and they both smirked.

"Heads up Neji!" Koji screamed, tossing the ball with everything he had. Neji didn't move, and got hit dead in the face. "Eh!?" Neji's team screamed. He didn't even attempt to dodge the attack. "Neji out!" Ref said, dragging the unconscious nin away.

Before the other nin on Neji's team could do anything, Shikamaru had decided to end this. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru said, and his shadow shot out and caught the remaining nin. "That was easy." Koji said, and they took their time eliminating the rest. "Winner: Green Team!" Ref said, and there were cheers of victory. Tsunade then appeared again.

"Now, Round 2: Ninja Soccer!" Tsunade said, and they were next Genjutsued into a Soccer Field.

_(Soccer Field)_

"Okay, here's the plan. Sasuke, you'll be goalie, since you have the Sharingan." Shikamaru said. Sasuke nodded. "Koji, you and Naruto will play defense. Everyone else is on offense. I'll play between defense and offense." Shikamaru said. Everyone nodded.

"Okay, here's the plan. I'll be watching the goal, since my Byakugan can't be fooled. Tenten, you and Lee are to play offense. If things become too close, you are permitted to take your weights off Lee." Neji said, and Lee nodded. "Shino, you will play right in the middle of the attack and the defense. Hinata-sama will be with you." Hinata and Shino nodded. "Chouji and the boy in the Rock Chuunin Vest will be the last line of defense." Neji said, and everyone nodded. Everyone nodded, and they took their positions for the upcoming soccer game.

"First one to score a point wins. BEGIN!!" Tsunade said, and Hinata took it upon herself to put up a Genutsu the moment Kiba passed it to Ino. Of course, Ino and Sakura broke the Genjutsu, but Kiba continued running. Sasuke's team sweat dropped watching Kiba continue running. "Idiot." Shino mumbled to himself, as Kiba ran right by him. "Isn't Kurenai-Sensei a Genjutsu expert? Wouldn't Kiba know how to break a Genjutsu?" Ino asked. "He's a moron. Maybe never learned." Sakura said, as she got hold of the ball. Lee stole the ball, and began using his crazy speed to get past everyone.

It would have worked, if Shikamaru hadn't used his Shadow Possession to stop him dead in his tracks. Shikamaru slowly walked to the ball and kicked it back towards Sakura ad Ino, who began charging the defense. Sadly, they didn't get far since Shino put up a bug wall, scaring the shit out of them. Tenten had the ball and kicked it into the air. Before she could kick the ball, she saw Naruto and Koji with their hands in Naruto's favorite seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" They both said, and 50 Clones of each charged Tenten, overwhelming her. Lee managed to get free from Shikamaru, and tossed his weights aside. As the soccer ball fell, Lee timed it perfectly, and used Leaf Hurricane to blast the ball towards Sasuke.

The ball barreled through all the Koji and Naruto clones like bowling pins, and Sasuke was blasted by the sheer power and the unexpectedness of it. In the end, Koji and Naruto lay on the ground, spirals for eyes, and Sasuke was on the ground, trapped in the Goalie's Net, with a X.X look on his face, as the soccer ball was on his head. "Winner, Blue Team!" Tsunade said, and they were Genjutsued to a new location.

_(Something of a Classroom)_

"Now, let's play a puzzle game. Here." Tsunade said, and two tables materialized. On them, one Rubix Cube each. "Solve the cube so that each side has only one color." Tsunade said, and disappeared.

Neji's team glanced at the cube, and began sweating when everyone on Sasuke's team glanced over at Shikamaru, who picked up the cube and glanced at it. He then began solving the little box, and everyone on Neji's team panicked.

In a wild fury, Lee and Chouji charged Shikamaru, and tackled him to the ground. Eventually, more people were dragged into the brawl, and there was pandemonium. Shino looked at them like they were stupid, and grabbed one of the cubes. As though he was bored, he quietly solved the cube, and set the completed cube onto his team's table.

"Winner, Blue Team!" Tsunade said, and everyone looked at her, and then at Shino, surprised. "You solved it Shino?" Kiba asked. "Solving Rubix Cubes is a small hobby of mine." Shino said, and everyone was stunned. _(He has hobbies!?!?)_ They all thought to themselves. Then, they were Genutsued.

_(Outside)_

When they regained their bearings, they realized that it was nighttime, and that there were drums. "What's with the drums?" Naruto asked. "Time for another Puzzle Match! One member from each team will be chosen at random to play for their side. Now, Random Choice!" Tsunade said, and a blue aura surrounded Koji and Hinata.

They reappeared in front of three drums, and Tsunade explained the rules. "I am going to play the drums 50 times. The one who gets the most right wins." Tsuande said. Hinata's eyes widened, while Koji hit each drum, noticing they made different noises. Tsunade took a deep breath, and began hitting the drums in a fairly fast motion.

Koji had his eyes closed, and noticed a pattern that played every 10 beats. To Hinata, it sounded like she was playing random beats. She looked over to Koji, who had his eyes closed, like he was concentrating. Tsunade finished, and glanced at Hinata. "Hinata, your first." Tsunade said, and Hinata began to hyperventilate. She gulped, and began hitting the drums. After she hit 50, Tsunade smiled.

"You got 28 of them correctly. Nice job." Tsunade said, and Hinata beamed. She looked to Koji, who yawned, like he was tired. "Your turn. Though from your expression, you-" Tsunade was cut short when Koji began hitting the drums in perfect rhythm to what she just played. Everyone was stunned silent. Koji yawned, and finished. "I think I missed a couple." Koji said, and Tsuande gawked at him.

"You hit them all perfectly." Tsuande said slowly. "Oh." Koji said, and everyone had O.O looks. _(I guess years of party games, Guitar Hero, and playing Piano by ear made this a cake walk.)_ Koji thought to himself. "Well, games tied 2 to 2." Tsunade said. "So now, it's the final round. Since I can't some up with anything better, we'll play Extreme Pong!" Tsunade said, and both Lee and Naruto were warped to the ping pong table, and everyone else looked on.

"Now, winner is the one that gets first point. BEGIN!!" Tsunade screamed. Naruto hit the ball, and Lee returned it. They played this way, all boring like. But once Naruto used some chakra to make the ball take a crazy bounce, Lee began playing for real.

The little ball was bouncing all over the place, and Naruto decided to end this. "Shadow Ping Ball Clone Jutsu!" Naruto screamed, hitting the ball, releasing about 50 Ping Pong Balls with the jutsu. Lee smirked, and began launching all of them right back. End result: Naruto had been hit 20 times, and Lee had won. "That was a sad ending." Koji said, as the Blue Team cheered in victory.

_(Outside the Genjutsu. The Real World)_

When the entire contest was over, it was about 7:00, so Tsunade threw a big party for the entire village. Koji wasn't much for hanging with large crowds, so he wandered in the less populated area of Konoha. Actually, it was eerily quiet. No one was outside at all.

Then he felt it. It was like cold water had been doused on his face. He turned around, and standing in front of him were two men in cloaks with red clouds on them. The taller one had blue skin, beady eyes, and a giant sword bandaged up. The smaller one had crimson eyes that looked as cold as winter.

"Hey Itachi! This boy is out here all alone." The blue nin said, smirking. "He isn't the one we're after, Kisame. We want the Kyuubi." Itachi said, and Kisasme began to chuckle evilly. _(Who are these guys? They're power, it's unreal! I can't beat these guys even if I wanted to try!)_ Koji thought to himself, terror etched on his face.

"Can I at least lop his legs and arms off?" Kisame asked, grabbing his giant blade. Koji began sweating, like it was summer time, and he was wearing heavy clothes. "No one is nearby, and it's not like he's in the way. Don't bother Kisame." Itachi said, and Kisame sighed. "But I haven't fought in a long time. Not since Hatake and that bowl shaped freak faced us." Kisame said, and Itachi hn'ed.

"Very well. Make this quick." Itachi said, and the sneer Kisame sent Koji made him start to have flashbacks of his life in the Naruto world. "Ng. Yami is back at the party, I'm in a deserted part of Konoha, and two nin I can't possibly defeat are here to battle." Koji mumbled to himself.

"So kid, are you going to make this interesting, or are you going to beg for your life?" Kisame asked. Koji actually toyed with the idea of begging for his life, but he wasn't a punk. Then again, these guys could kill him many times over. So he did the only smart thing. He got on his knees, and lowered his head submissively.

"Please. Please spare my life." Koji said. Kisame began laughing, but Koji was glaring without neither of them knowing, and making quick one handed seals. "You were right Kisame, he really isn't worth it! Begging for his life like a weakling!" Itachi taunted.

"Please…don't hate me for this! Lightning Style: Spark Wave Jutsu!" Koji said, launching a pulse of electric chakra at Kisame, who, since his guard was down, was blasted into a wall. Koji then jumped to his feet, and decided to get the hell away from them. He ran pretty damn fast, and hoped to all Gods that he wasn't going to die. He managed to get a little closer to civilization, before Itachi appeared right in front of him.

_(What!? Shit!)_ Koji thought to himself. "Your dead, kid. I was going to only chop off a leg and arm, but now, I'll take your life." Kisame said, and the blade was off for real. Koji was sweating in terror. "Have to catch me first!" Koji said, and he turned into a log. Before he could escape, he was standing in front of two Itachis.

_(Damnit! I never saw him coming! Who is this guy!?)_ Koji thought to himself. "No point in trying to run away. You foolishly attacked us, so you will die for it." Itachi said, as his two clones continued to walk towards him. After the fifth step, they both blew up, and Koji was sent flying. Koji landed on the ground harshly, and Itachi and Kisame walked towards him.

"Foolish little boy. To think that you would try and take us on." Itachi said. Sharingan Red stared lifelessly into Light Brown, and Koji could see his death. "You know, I want to keep your head as a souvenir!" Kisame said.

_(I don't know what's more scary here. The fact that I am about to be decapitated, or the fact that he plans on keeping my head as a trophy.)_ "Great. I'm going to die thanks to a pile of walking sushi." They say that when death comes knocking at your door, you tend to do things you wouldn't normally do. Koji had decided he wanted to be remembered as being a smart-ass. "Funny. But now, you die!" Kisame said, swinging his sword. Koji prepared himself for death, but luckily for him, it would never come.

When Koji opened his eyes, expecting death, he saw Shiro standing there, his hands blocking the blade. He pushed Kisame back, and he landed next to Itachi. "Who is this guy? He stopped Samehada with his bare hands." Kisame said. "We should be leaving." Itachi said.

"Why?" Kisame asked. "Because, this man isn't someone we can beat without causing a lot of commotion and alerting the ANBU. He isn't some ordinary nin." Itachi said. "How do you know that?" Kisame asked. "He is the grandfather of Kanzaki." Itachi said, and Kisame gave him a look.

"You mean, he's Shiro Masamune?" Kisame asked. "The one and only." Shiro said, his eyes already in Tarogan. "He definitely is. Though orange, his eyes are slitted like hers are when she uses her eyes." Kisame said. "I see. So that's where Kanzaki had been for the last 4 years." Shiro said. "We're heading out Kisame." Itachi said, and they disappeared in the darkness.

"Well kid, looks like you lucked out." Shiro said, as Koji slowly stood up. "Now, what would Kin and Zaku say if I told them you made yourself some powerful enemies like Akatsuki?" Shiro said, and Koji sighed. "That's always been my luck!"

**ShadowRonin: And so, another chapter ends, and everyone is safe yet again. Koji has met Akatsuki, who will play a major role in the Third Arc. The next arc is now one chapter away, and the First Arc: Arrival of Koji Hyosuke, comes to an end.**


	11. Train for the Jounin Exams

**It is here! The Final Chapter of the Arrival of Koji Arc!! They are getting ready to train themselves for the upcoming exam. Of course, all the main participants will be ready once the stage is set. Friends will disband with the sole purpose of becoming an elite. Read on and hope for you r favorite!!**

Chapter 11: Preparations for the Jounin Exam! Time To Train!!

"You all know why we are here. The next Jounin Exam, held in the Hidden Sand Village, will be in 4 months. I want to hear all those that have been nominated to take the exam." Tsuande said. Kurenai, Gai, and Kakashi were standing in front of her.

"I'd say both Lee and Tenten are ready for this big step up!" Gai said, thumbs up, and teeth sparkling. "Kiba and Shino are definitely ready. Hinata is also ready to take the next step." Kurenai said. "Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji all held their own against Akatsuki. Hell, Shikamaru defeated Hidan. I'd say their all more than ready." Kakashi said.

"What about Team Seven?" Tsunade asked. "You know Sakura's strengths better than I do. Naruto defeated a member of Akatsuki single handedly. And Sasuke is way stronger than I was at his age. Though those two are officially Genin, they have Jounin capabilities. I say they should be given a chance." Kakashi said, with his n.n look. Tsuande smiled.

"Sakura is also ready. She is slowly surpassing me." Tsunade said. "Okay, send someone to tell them to prepare for the next Jounin Exams! This years Generation of Jounin will be astounding!" Tsunade said.

_(Road Leading to the Village Gates)_

"The Jounin Exam?" Koji asked. "You said you wanted to be a part of the Shadow Blades, correct? Well, all of us are Jounin or above." Shiro said. "So, I have to win this exam?" Koji asked.

"Not necessarily. You have to at least make it past the Testing Round. Once you've passed that, even if you lose in the first round, you can still be voted a Jounin." Shiro said. "Okay then! I'll give it my best!" Koji said. "Good, if you are sincere with that vigor, then I will train you myself!" Shiro said.

"You would!? AWESOME!!!" Koji screamed. On their way to leaving the village, they ran into Sanosuke. "Hey! Sano! You going to be in the next Jounin Exam?" Koji asked. "Of course! Though I have no village affiliation, I plan on becoming a Jounin!" Sanosuke said. The two best friends, and the Shadow Blade Leader left through the Village Gates.

_(Hyuuga Compound)_

Around the time that was happening, Neji was sitting in front of a tree in the Hyuuga compound, meditating. He knew of the next Jounin Exam, but wasn't real interested in them, since he was already a Jounin. "Neji-nii-san?" Neji opened his eyes, and there was Hinata. She wasn't fidgeting like she normally would, but her tone was still pretty quiet.

"Hn?" Neji replied, but Hinata could tell he didn't hear her. "Can you train me for the next Jounin Exam?" Hinata asked a little more confidently. Neji looked at her, a little confused. Hinata didn't stutter, or turn dark red, just a light pink. "You wish to ask my help for the Jounin Exam?" Neji asked, confused. Last time he checked, Hiashi was stronger than him by some. She should be asking him to help her.

"Yes, nii-san. You've become a Jounin before the rest of our friends, you have the best idea of what to expect. Also, if you mastered the Hyuuga Style Gentle Fist by yourself, then you would knew the best way to do things." Hinata said. Neji smirked slightly.

"Sure, Hinata-sama. But once we begin, I won't be going easy on you." Neji warned her. "That would be most appreciated." Hinata replied, and Neji nodded. "Okay, then let's start with the basics."

_(Inuzuka Doghouse)_

"Alright Mom, Sis! I want to truly be ready for the Jounin Exams, so I'm going to need you guy's help!" Kiba said excited, and Tsume and Hana smiled. "I guess even the runt of the litter has to grow up and become a man at some point." Hana teased.

"Geez sis, thanks a lot." Kiba said, sarcastically, and giving his sister a slight glare. "Kiba, becoming a Jounin is going to be the toughest trial you've ever face in your life. Are you prepared to take that step?" Tsume asked.

"Of course! My friends are going to give it their all, so I wouldn't want them to surpass me!" Kiba said, and Akamaru barked in agreement. "Okay then. Prepare yourself!" Tsume said, as she and Hana charged Kiba.

_(Aburame Hive)_

Shino walked into his giant backyard, where his father was standing. "I've heard about your planning to enter the Jounin Exam in 4 months." Shibi said, and Shino nodded. "I believe that I have what it takes to become Jounin." Shino said.

"And I believe you do, Shino. But the nin there will be at levels that nin you've faced before would pale in comparison to." Shibi said. Shino then had a flashback of his battle against Kankuro nearly three years ago.

_(If I fought him to a draw last time, and he's a Jounin, then I already have what it takes. I won't fall behind the others.)_ Shino thought to himself. "Okay then, son. Let's start on your Kikai bugs."

_(Outside Konoha: 30 minutes later)_

Koji, Sanosuke, and Shiro waited as Yami did her business behind a bush. "So Sano, do you know what you're going to do after becoming a Jounin?" Koji asked. "Nothing in particular." Sano asked.

"You still want to take me up on my offer? I would love to have a traveling partner." Koji said. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Sanosuke said. The team of three traveled along the road for a while longer, before a fork in the road caused them to have to take different directions. "We're going this way." Shiro said, walking off. "I'm heading this way." Sanosuke said, and Koji nodded.

"When we meet for the exam, I hope that you will give me quite a challenge." Koji said, and Sanosuke smirked at him. "You better hope I don't smoke you." Sanosuke said, and they both shook on it.

_(Nara Estate)_

"Hn. Your going to become quite the Jounin, Shikamaru." Shikaku, Shikamaru's father said, and Shikamaru sighed. "Where it was optional for everyone else, it was mandatory for me." Shikamaru said, as him and his father were playing Go.

"Well, that's what happens when you do something that could only be accomplished by that demon kid." Shikaku said. "You mean Naruto? Well, he's actually strong. I'm just smart, and the only quality I have is my mastery of Shadow related Jutsus. From what Ino and Chouji told me, he's mastered Yondaime's jutsu to the point where he's upgraded it and made it his own." Shikamaru said.

"Well, he's got spunk, that's for sure. You are lazy, yet I bet you could defeat him." Shikaku said. "Hn. He's probably to willful for my Shadow Possession to hold him for long." Shikamaru said. "You'd never know. How about we test the true strength of the Shadows once we're done." Shikaku said.

"Sure." Shikamaru said, and Shikamaru's mom called for tem to get inside. "Troublesome." Both Shadow Masters said before they walked in to face their fate.

_(Yamanaka Flower Shop)_

"Thank you!" Ino said, as she finished another purchase from the Flower Shop. Ino then plopped on a chair. "Oh man! The Jounin Exams are coming, everyone is going to be training like crazy, and **I CAN'T TRAIN HALF THE TIME!!!"** Ino screamed, letting her head rest on the counter.

"You know, you're right Ino." Ino turned to who said it, and there was her father, Inoichi. "You can't possibly get stronger by sitting here running the shop. Since you are becoming quite the ninja, it's about time you learned some of the more advanced Yamanaka Jutsus." Inoichi said, and Ino smirked.

"You'll help me?" Ino asked. "Of course. Your mother will run the shop." Inoichi said.

_(Akimichi House_

"So Chouji, you going to train hard for this exam?" Chouji's father, Chouzan, asked. "Of course! I expect there to be some nin that would be hard to beat." Chouji said. "I hear that Shikamaru is going to be there, along with that Naruto boy and the Uchiha." Chouzan said.

"Naruto isn't someone I wish to go against. I've seen him defeat a member of Akatsuki, when even Kakashi-Sensei had trouble. He might be the strongest of this years exam." Chouji said.

"But you forget, Shikamaru also defeated a member of Akatsuki by himself. In short, those two are probably the ones to beat." Chouzan said. "I have to get stronger. I can't just fall behind like that, when I have a chance to catch Shikamaru. I don't want to become a burden." Chouji said.

"Then it's a good thing we have 4 months. We will train till you drop, and even Shikamaru won't be able to stop you." Chouzan said, and Chouji smiled.

_(With Sanosuke: 1 hour later)_

Sanosuke walked for about another mile and a half before someone approached him. "You decided to come." He said. "Hai, Saito-Sensei." Sanosuke said, and the man smiled.

His sensei, Saito, was a strong nin in his prime, but now that he was pushing 58, he was passing everything he knew to his protégé, Sanosuke. "Sensei, I think I've finally mastered he Diamond Infusion Jutsu, and I used it on Rock Smash!" Sanosuke said, and Saito smirked.

"You got the Diamond Infusion Jutsu to work, eh? Well, I guess that means it's time I taught you some of the skills that made me the Earthbender of the Rock Village. You ready to become a legend of your own?" Saito asked.

"Of course, Sensei! I want to prove I'm one of the best ever. The only way I can do that is to train and get stronger!" Sanosuke said, and Saito smiled. "Then once we reach my old dojo, we'll start with wielding your blade."

_(In Konoha)_

"Do you think you could be my sparring partner till the Jounin Exams, Lee?" Tenten asked. "Eh!? What happened to NejI? He's usually your battle partner!" Lee asked.

"He was asked by Hinata to train her. Gai-Sensei is on a mission, so I figured we would help each other out." Tenten said. "Of course! With the combined powers of your blossoming youth, and the Green Beast of Konoha, we will become the strongest of all at the Jounin Exams!" Lee said. "Um…thanks Lee. Let's get ready. With you helping, I can get better at moving targets." Tenten said.

_(Training Grounds for Team Seven)_

"Sasuke, if you want to be able to defeat Naruto, there are a few things about him you need to know." Kakashi said, and Sasuke looked at him confused.

"1. He has learned that Shadow Clones can be used for super training, and only he has the chakra to be able to do that." Kakashi said. "2. He has mastered the Rasengan, and has created his own jutsu. It's a stronger form of the Rasengan, and it would blast your Chidori and my Raikiri like it's nothing." Sasuke sort of glanced away with that one.

"Don't fret. I can help you get stronger, but first, you need to find out what your chakra element is." Kakashi said, handing him a little card. "How does this work?" Sasuke asked. "Put some chakra into the card, and depending on how it reacts, it will tell your chakra type. I believe your type is fire, but I want to make sure." Kakashi said.

Sasuke shrugged and put some chakra into the card. To Kakashi's surprise, instead of burning up, the card crinkled. "Hm. I guess your element is Lightning. Fire must be some Uchiha Specialty. I guess that means you'll be developing the Chidori into your own original attack." Kakashi said.

"Now, since you can already manipulate electric chakra, and infuse it into your little sword there, I want you to launch lightning chakra out of your hand." Kakashi said. Sasuke looked at him. "You serious?" Sasuke asked. "Don't worry. I plan on making up my own move for my Raikiri." Kakashi said.

"So you training me is also helping you to get stronger as well?" Sasuke asked. "Of course. If anything were to happen, I want to be able to fight as well as you and Naruto." Kakashi said, and Sasuke sighed.

_(Hokage Tower)_

"You think I can become a Jounin, Tsunade-Shishou?" Sakura asked. "Of course! You are becoming quite a medic nin. Besides, you've received training from a Legendary Sannin, and the Hokage of Konoha. If I can't help you become Jounin, then no one can!" Tsuande said, proudly, and Sakura smiled.

"Your competition will be fierce, but there will be three other nin there who have been trained under the powers of a Sannin." Tsunade said. Sakura looked confused. "Sasuke and Naruto were trained by Sannin. Who is the third one?" Sakura asked. "You know him. His name is Koji." Tsunade was amused by the fierce look that Sakura had on her face for the boy.

"That perverted moron!? Who would want to teach someone as annoying as him!?" Sakura asked. "Who knows what Shiro is thinking. I bet this little student of his will be a powerful nin in four months." Tsuande said. "Doubt it! He won't stand a chance against me!" Inner Sakura was free, and ready.

_(Training Grounds: Giant Waterfall)_

"Yamato-Sensei, why is Kakashi-Sensei training Sasuke, while you help me?" Naruto asked, as four of his Shadow Clones were sparring against each other. "Because you already have a distinct advantage over Sasuke. He can't work the Shadow Clones like you can. He needs the help of someone like Kakashi-Senpai." Yamato said, and Naruto smirked.

"I got and advantage over Teme! Yes!" Naruto thrust his fist into the air. "Don't let it get to your head. If Kakashi is helping, then that means Sasuke will most likely master a new technique that will match your RasenShuriken." Yamato said. "I guess. Teme was always pretty crafty when he needed to be." Naruto said.

"He was also trained by a Legendary Sannin, like you. He may know a few tricks he may have kept to himself." Yamato said. "Good! There are a few tricks I kept to myself! When we face each other, he's going down!" Naruto said, thrusting his fist into the air.

_(With Koji, the next day)_

"So, should I refer to you as Shiro-Sensei?" Koji asked. They were in a dojo that Shiro made 200 miles outside of Konoha. The only reason they got there in a day was because Shiro had them run for about 22 hours with only 3 10 minute breaks. "You don't need to, unless you want to." Shiro said. "Nah. I'll stick with Shiro. Maybe I'll use sama when I'm in a good mood." Koji said, and they both chuckled.

"Okay then. You obviously have a limited amount of jutsus, but a large amount of potential. I will not only increasse the number of jutsus you will know, but I will also help that styleless brawler thing you call 'Taijutsu.'" Shiro said. "What's wrong with my Taijutsu?" Koji asked.

"You can't just swing away at an opponent. Anyone with half a bit of skill could counter your attacks without trying." Shiro said. "I suppose." Koji said. "Good, now do you want to be able to handle men like those two in the Red Cloud Robes?" Shiro asked. Koji nodded. He didn't' want to be in a situation where he couldn't win no matter what. "Good. Then let's begin!" Shiro said.

**ShadowRonin: And so, another chapter ends, and all is said and done. The Jounin Exams will be great and fun. Koji and friends begin their quests for strength. And find that power when they come to meet in four months. And to leave you all with the end of an Arc, here are flashes of what's to come:**

Welcome to the Jounin Exams!! I am your host Temari!!

Prepare yourself Koji Hyosuke. You won't survive this.

His power… how is he able to defeat us? The three Sannin!?

Sasuke, it of great importance you finish your training with Orochimaru. The world depends on it!

T.K, Sidestep, Blade, the time has come. It is you three's job to take over the Continent of the Elements!!

Starring:

Koji Hyosuke: "Wait till you see what I can do!! I'll rock your world!!

Naruto Uzumaki: "This fight isn't over yet! I've barely begun, Believe it!!

Sasuke Uchiha: "Hn. Dobe actually learned a few things."

Sakura Haruno: "I'm not weak!! I'LL SHOW YOU!!!

Sanosuke Kazeyama: "It must be fun showing how stupid and strong you are."

And the rest of the Konoha Twelve. As they are pitted against each other, along with new rivals and allies!!

Gale Kazekiri: "Koji Hyosuke, you won't win against me."

Shinji: "You can't get past the powers of my eyes. Once I've got you, it's over."

And many more! So be ready 6/22/07, for Tales of a Boy and His Dog, Arc 2: The Jounin Exams!

(Side note: Any dialogue isn't guaranteed to actually appear. They all surround important events.)

**ShadowRonin: So see you in a week and a half!! Also, drop a line on if I should ever do that again once this Arc ends. Later!!**


	12. Gather to Sand!

**Yo!! I'm back, and with another chapter!!! The last arc is over, but the new arc starts now!! It has been 4 months in between chapters, and everyone is ready to show what they have learned. So sit back, relax, and get ready for the Jounin Exams!!!**

Chapter 12: Gather in Sand. Everyone Gets Ready!

_(The path to the Sand Village: A week until the Jounin Exams)_

"I knew that Sensei would have left before us, but who would have guessed that he'd leave today? It's another week before the exams." Koji said, riding the Chakra Board Shiro gave him a week ago.

"It takes about 5 days to get from the dojo to the Sand Village. He figured that the last second was the best time for you to leave." Yami said, riding on his head. "I guess, but 5 days will be cut to 3 if we travel like this." Koji said. "Of course, because you're too lazy to walk." Yami said. "Says the dog who is riding on my head." Koji said, and Yami chuckled in a dog like way.

_(Somewhere along the path)_

A nin was walking down the path. He decided if he left today, he could make it to the Sand Village with two days to spare. He heard a voice, and masked his chakra.

"Says the dog who is riding on my head." The nin smirked. He knew that voice. He decided to make his presence known. He jumped, and landed in front of Koji, and Koji nearly crashed into a few trees.

"What the hell!?" Koji screamed, and Yami reverted back to her original size. "Long time no see." The nin said. When the dust cleared, Sanosuke was standing in front of Koji, smirking.

Instead of the standard attire for a Rock Chuunin, he had a dark blue t-shirt on and a dark green jacket-like sweat shirt. He had on Blue Jeans, and his green headband was stil tied around his forehead. But rather than being there for show, it actually helped to keep his chestnut hair from his eyes

"Sano!!!" Koji screamed, jumping up, and laughing. "I didn't expect you to be here!" Koji said, and Sanosuke nodded. "The last leg of my training was to rough it for about a month. I ended up all the way out here, though." Sanosuke said, and smiled when Koji began ranting about how powerful he had become.

Koji was wearing a green jersey-like tank top, with a black shirt with buttons over it. The buttons were all undone. He wore a necklace with a lightning symbol dangling from it. He also had the same dark blue shorts, but instead of the standard ninja sandals, he had on a pair of black sneakers. (He'd been told on numerous occasions that those were civilian shoes, but he ignored them, saying that they are comfortable, and that's that.) His hair was a little longer, and the dreadlocks in the front could easily cover his face if he wanted them to.

"So, you any stronger?" Koji asked, and Saosuke smirked. "Of course, I won't lose to an idiot like you." Sanosuke said, and Koji waved his hand. "Idiot I may be, but we'll see who gets the last laugh!" They both chuckled, and continued their walk towards the Sand Village, which was 5 days away if they walked.

"Where did you get the board?" Sanosuke asked. "Sensei gave it to me!" Koji said, using a little chakra to turn the thing into a silver bracelet he wore around his right hand.

_(Konoha: 2 days later )_

"Wow, Kurenai-Sensei is getting bigger!" Kiba said rather bluntly, and sweat dropped at the glare that Kurenai gave him. She was now 4 months in labor, and it was showing a little. "That was rude Kiba." Shino said. He still wore the same outfit he had from the Second Arc, but he had a brown gourd tied around his back, assumed to be full of bugs.

Kiba's jacket was now black instead of grey, and he was currently sitting on Akamaru. "That's okay Shino. Kiba wouldn't know any better." Kurenai said. "What's that mean?" Kiba asked. "However you wish to interpret it." They turned to the voice, and saw that it was Neji and Hinata.

Both were in the traditionall Hyuuga Style Battle Robes. Neji's was dark blue, and Hinata's was light blue. "Glad to see you Hinata. You both look like brother and sister now." Kurenai said, and Hinata smiled, while Neji shrugged. "Neji-nii-san had been training me for the exam." Hinata said.

"Don't worry Hinata! We're all going to get this done!" Kiba said, and Kurenai smiled. "Neji, I'm trusting them with your care. Don't let me down." Kurenai said. Neji nodded, and they all took off for the Sand Village, which was three days walk away. They were the first to leave.

_(Elsewhere in Konoha)_

Shikamaru yawned and walked. Chouji and Ino told him to meet them at Ichiraku Ramen. "Took you long enough!" Ino screamed.

She had changed from her usual purple outfit, to a purple shirt, which showed her curves, and a black skirt with biker shorts under it. (Guess she took Koji's word to heart.)

Chouji had the normal Akimichi Battle Armor, but it was green, like his clothes when he was 12.

Shikamaru still had the same clothes from his youth. The only difference was that his jacket was black with red on it. (If you have played Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2, this would be his alternate outfit.)

"Don't lose your cool, Ino. I'm here, geez." Shikamaru said, yawning. "Kakashi-Sensei said to meet us here at 11:00. It's 10:55!" Ino said, and Shikamaru yawned. "Naruto told me he's always late anyway. I could have taken a nap." Shikamaru said.

"Come on. Naruto always overexhagerates! Kakashi will be here on time. He can't be one of the strongest Jounin and be chronically late." Chouji reasoned, and Shikamaru shrugged. So they waited. And waited. And, you know for the hell of it, waited some more. Finally, 2 hours after waiting, Kakashi appeared in his usual poof of smoke.

"Sorry, guys. A black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way." Kakashi said. "LIAR!!!!" Ino screamed, eyes white. Chouji was eating a bag of chips, so he didn't care, and Shikamaru glared at him, annoyed that he had Ino screaing while he was taking a nap. "Come on. You guys are about to become Jounin." Kakashi said.

"It's optional for these guys. It's mandatory that I fight." Shikamaru said. "That's what you get for being smart and strong enough to kill an S-Class Missing Nin." Kakashi teased, and Shikamaru groaned. "Come on. I'm ready to head to the Sand Village." Kakashi said, and everyone nodded.

_(Elsewhere in Konoha)_

"Alright my youthful and powerful students! Are you all packed and ready for the Jounin Exams?" Gai asked, and Lee saluted.

Lee, through the miracle of Sakura, was wearing a green shirt, and blue shorts. They looked like they fit him, but Gai cried, saying that Sakura 'stole Lee's youth!'

Tenten was wearing a blue Chineese shirt with a gold dragon on the back. Her pants were matching to her shirt, and instead of ninja shoes, she had those shoes that kung fu warriors wore. (The inspiration for this outfit is Law's outfit from Tekken 5, except blue and for girls.)

"As ready as can be, Gai-Sensei!" Lee screamed. "Good job, my youthful student! I know you will win!" Gai screamed. "Yes Gai-Sensei!!" "Lee!!" "Gai-Sensei!!" "Lee!!!!" "Gai-Sensei!!!!" Sunset, cliff next to an ocean, and a cheesy scene meant to inspire. In short: a Genjutsu so damn powerful and hard to get rid of, that even Kurenai, Tsunade, and even Kakashi couldn't dispel it. Tenten sighed in annoyance, and began the trek for the Sand village.

_(Bridge)_

At the bridge stood Sasuke. He was wearing a white version of his old shirt, and dark blue khaki shorts. (Once again, Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 Alternate Constume.) His kusanagi was strapped right on his back, and he looked bored.

"Teme! Your early!" Naruto screamed. He had the same clothes, except he cut the shirt and pants so that they were short sleeved and shorts. "And you're loud. Sadly we can't do anything about that." Sasuke said, and Naruto gave him a semi-glare.

"Where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. "She's not with you?" Sasuke asked. "She's usually the second one here." Naruto said. "I'm surprised Naruto of all people is earlier than me." They turned, as Sakura walked towards them. She was showing that she was truly Tsunade's apprentice.

Her clothes were highly similar to Tsunade's back before she became the Hokage. She even had her old shirt that had Gamble on the back. Of course, she also had something close to Tsunade's legendary bust. "So, we ready?" Sakura asked. Sasuke and Naruto dumbly nodded. "Then lets go!" Sakura said, walking towards the gate.

"Teme. Has she always been that…ahem 'developed?'" Naruto asked. "Don't know. Her clothes never made them obvious." Sasuke said, and they both shrugged. "She did look hot though." Naruto said. Sasuke reluctantly nodded, knowing that was true. "Come on!" Naruto screamed, and began running. Sasuke and Sakura followed.

"Why are we running?" Sakura asked. "Because I want to hang out with Gaara before the exams begin!" Naruto said. "We have 5 days, dobe. If we run, we'll get there in 1 day." Sasuke said. "All the more time to hang with Gaara!" Naruto screamed.

_(With Koji and Sanosuke: 3 days later)_

"We have two days before the exam! We could have been there earlier, but no! You had to go back and find your necklace!" Sanosuke said, and Koji smirked. "I like this necklace." Koji said, and Sanosuke sighed in annoyance.

"Look!" Koji said, pointing ahead. There, they could see the gates of the Sand Village. But before they could reach the gate, they had to cross the desert. Koji wasn't down with running on sand, so he tossed his bracelet onto the ground, and it transformed into his grey chakra board.

"Not fair!" Sanosuke screamed, as Yami transformed into a puppy, and landed on Koji's head. "Lame." Sanosuke said, and Koji shrugged. They traveled across the desert, and in no time, the gates were catching up to them.

_(Sand Village)_

Sasuke walked down the street, relieved that he wasn't getting glares of resentment. Then again, leaving your village to seek power wasn't going to cause everyone to treat him like they did. Just to think, a freaking fluke in that snakes world caused his mission to put together the ultimate team to kill Itachi to be cancelled altogether. Oh well.

"Hey Teme!" Sasuke turned, and saw that it was Naruto and Sakura, walking towards him. "The others finally made it!" Naruto screamed. At the gates, entering, were the rest of the Konoha 12. "Why should that concern me? Last time I checked, they didn't care much about me back in Konoha." Sasuke deadpanned bluntly. "Because they don't see the good in you. Like we do!" Naruto said. "Hn." Sasuke mumbled.

And so, everyone of the Konoha 12 met, and began chatting. Their chatting and walking lead them to some training grounds. After a few more minutes of chatting, a dust storm kicked up, and everyone was slightly blinded. Next to Sakura, appeared a boy around their age.

He had on the clothes that were native to Sand Nin, which was the battle garbs of a desert traveler. He had black hair that came down to his back, and blue eyes that looked calculating and cold.

"Hello miss. Why must someone as pretty as you hang out with these losers?" He asked. "And who the hell do you think you are!?" Naruto screamed, stomping up to him. Before he got within striking distance, he was blown away by winds.

"The hell!?" Naruto screamed. "I wasn't talking to you blondie." He said coldly. "Hey! You can't push Naruto around!" Sakura screamed. "Baby, don't worry about that idiot." He said, and she glared at him. "It's obvious she doesn't like you. Let her go." Neji said, walking up.

"And you are going to stop me?" The boy asked, as he caused some strong winds to surround him. Naruto had Rasengan ready, as Sasuke began charging the chakra for his Chidori. Neji got into his Gentle Fist stance, and glared. "Hey Teme. This guy doesn't seem to get it. Let's teach him a lesson." Naruto said, smirking. "For once, I agree with you dobe." Sasuke said, and before they moved, a beam of electricity shot past the boy's head, nearly hitting him.

"Ah damn! I missed!" They heard someone complain. The boy, pissed, shot a blast of air at the direction of the voice. After a few seconds, he heard the voice laughing in amusment. "What's so funny!?" He screamed. Then, the dust storm he created just stopped, and standing there, confidently was the one nin they all knew.

"I was laughing because you missed!" It was Koji. To the Konoha nin that knew him personally, he looked much more confident than he did 4 months ago. "And who the hell are you?" He asked. "Give me your name, and I'll give you mine." Koji said smugly, and the black haired nin growled, lifting his hands ready to launch another Wind Jutsu. Before he knew it, Koji was in between him and Sakura.

"I wouldn't try anything on this one." Koji said, pointing his thumb at Sakura. "And why not?" He asked. "Because…she's my girlfriend." Everyone gave stunned and surprised looks, including Sakura and the Sand nin.

"He knows how to make things worse, doesn't he?" Yami asked. "Yep, that's our Koji." Sanosuke said, as they watched from a safe distance. "So, she's taken?" The Sand nin asked. "Yep. I'm the lucky nin that gets to tap that ass." Koji said, and everyone once again, looked amazed. He was so non-chalant when he said that.

"Really?" The Sand nin asked. "Then prove it." "Fine." Koji said, shrugging. Sakura didn't get what was happening, until she felt Koji bring his lips to hers.

"Oh hell! He didn't!" Sanosuke said, trying to keep himself from laughing outloud. "That boy doesn't know how to think or act." Yami muttered. The sand nin looked appalled, while the Konoha nin were stunned silent. The sand nin turned his back to Koji.

"The name's Gale Kazekiri." Gale said. "Koji Hyosuke." Koji said, as Gale disappeared in a poof of sand. Koji sighed. That was very annoying. He then felt a chill run right down his spine. He looked, and noticed that everyone had taken one large step away from him. He turned slowly, and saw that Sakura was glowing pink, and glaring with white eyes.

"Umm Sakura…please don't kill me…I got him to leave you alone…" Koji said slowly. With the traditional battle cry of CHA, Sakura charged him and unleashed a chakra filled 28 hit combo, ending it a double roundhouse kick. In short, Koji got his ass kicked big time. (It's good to have everyone back together.) Sasuke and Naruto thought to themselves.

_(Later that night)_

Koji decided that it was time for a little payback. He saves Sakura's ass, and she kicks his. Okay, Okay! Time for a Panty Raid! It was now about 11:00 at night. (In order to pull this off perfectly, I'm going to need to initiate all my stealth training. This won't be easy.) Koji thought to himself. So he opted for something traditional. He picked the lock, and walked in.

It was dead silent. There weren't many girls entering the Jounin Exams, but from what he saw in the village, the girls looked drop dead hot. He walked silently, albeit carelessly. He walked with his hands in his pocket, and pulled out a book. (Shiro always said his best friend was good with literature. But damn. Not only is this Grade A porn, this has a sensible plot.) Koji thought to himself, amused.

Then, he felt Sakura's chakra, along with Ino's and Tenten's. Nodding, he picked their door as well, and snuck into the room. Finding the drawer that their panties were stashed in, he smirked. Pink frilly lace!? JACKPOT!!! Now, how to use this for blackmail? At this time, Ino had woken up, slighty out of it.

"Damn. Where's Ino and Tenten's underwear." Koji mumbled to himself. "Third drawer to the right." Ino replied, walking to the bathroom. Both of them then stopped, realization hit them like a ton of bricks. "PERVERT!!!"

_(Outside)_

Sanosuke was walking in the village, looking for his friend. He woke up when he heard something land outside. He saw Koji's empty bed, and figured he was about to do something incriminating/stupid.

"PERVERT!!!" Yep, something incriminating/stupid.

_(Back inside)_

Koji ran down the hall, cursing his shitty luck. He turned, and saw that Tenten had pulled out something close to 200 shuriken. Luckily, he turned the corner just in time to avoid them, but he ran dead into Temari. Of course, it was worse than merely running into her. They both fell to the ground, his head resting right in between her heavenly valleys.

The stayed for close to a second in that position, before Koji shot up, his whole face turning red, and Temari slowly getting up, glaring viciously as she pulled out her fan. "…It was a accident! I swear! Please don't kill me!" Koji pleaded. "WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!!!" Temari screamed, and flicked her fan, as a giant blast of wind sent his ass blasting through the wall.

_(Outside)_

Sanosuke heard an explosion, and saw the side of the hotel the girls were using got blasted open. "Damn, what caused that?" Sanosuke asked. "Don't worry about it." Sanosuke sighed. He turned around, and began to snicker.

Koji was standing there, dirt was marred on his clothes, and a pink bra was dangling off his head. He looked annoyed. "You have fun?" Sanosuke asked, teasing. Koji glared, and then smirked. He felt the presence of Kunoichi hiding, and Sano was about to regret taunting him.

"I got you the purple lace panties you wanted." Koji said, and Sanosuke had an appalled look. He knew what Koji did, and he wasn't going to stand for it. The kunoichi were arriving, and they had to high tail it out of there. "You drag me into this!?" Sanosuke asked, obviously pissed.

"We're best friends! Best friends stick through the good and the bad!" Koji said, as they ran through the Sand Village, avoiding kunai, shuriken, and all sorts of weapons. "Best friends don't drag best friends into their battles!" Sanosuke screamed, as they turned the corner.

Dead end.

Both of them broke into cold sweats. Dead end meant game over. Game over meant that their lives, and possibly their future children, were at stake.

They turned with the intent on finding a new way, but standing in front of them were Tenten, Ino, Sakura, and Temari. "Shit." Both nin muttered. "Who wants first dibs?" Sakura asked, as all four of them held evil smirks.

_(Suna Hospital)_

"Tsunade-dono was right. You are danger prone." Inside the Sand Village hospital laid Koji, wrapped in bandges. Oh, but he had a guest. Sanosuke was there as well, in just as bad shape.

"He dragged me into this." Sanosuke growled, annoyed. Gaara just looked on, amused. "Shiro-san told me about the situation of you two entering the Jounin Exam. It is allowed, but I can't say any Kunoichi will be thrilled." Gaara said, as both nin glared at him.

"Shut up!" Koji said, and Gaara walked out the room. "You know I will hate you for the rest of your life for this." Sanosuke said, and Koji smirked. "But at least you can't say it was a boring night." Koji replied, and Sanosuke sighed in irritation.

ShadowRonin: And so it begins!! The Wheels of Fate are in motion, and the battle for the elite is about to begin!! Can Koji become an elite ninja, joining the Shadow Blade? Can the Konoha 12 join the ranks of Neji Hyuuga? Can Sanosuke pull it off and win? Who else will the nin meet? Find out next chapter!!

**Preview:**

So now it's time! Everyone is ready for the Exams!! Battles will be fought, and lives wil be tested, all for the sake of becoming a Jounin in the next chapter of Tales of a Boy and His Dog: Exams Begin! The 16 Are Chosen!!


	13. Battles Begin!

**Koji: Ng. What time is it?**

**Sanosuke: Get up, dude. The Jounin Exams begin in a little while.**

**Koji: Gah!!! How long!?**

**Sanosuke: I'd say about 3 hours.**

**Koji: …I have three hours. Wake me in two. (falls back asleep)**

**Sanosuke: (sweat drop) I see anticipation doesn't mess up your sleep.**

Chapter 13: Exams Begin! The 16 Worthy Are Chosen!!

"Ah, the Sand Village. This truly is a Desert Oasis." Koji said, standing on the Village Gates to get a nice view of the village. "Home of the Kazekage." Koji said, sighing. He then jumped off the gates, and began walking. The exams did begin in about an hour.

_(Sand Stadium)_

"Welcome to the Sand Village Jounin Exams!" Gaara said, as the 320 Chuunin were standing, ready for the battle. "Since there are so many of you, we will cut the numbers down to the Final 16. These 16 will have the chance to become Jounin, while the rest I could care less about." Gaara said.

"Well, he's blunt." Koji said, and Sanosuke snickered. "Now, will the first twenty please enter the arena." Gaara said, as the first twenty names popped up. Koji saw his name, and shrugged. "Kick ass, my friend." Sanosuke said, and Koji smirked.

The others who weren't fighting left to the giant area where they could sit and watch, while the first set of twenty entered the arena. Koji had his headphones on, and decided to take them off once he entered the arena. He heard snickering, and saw the other 19 nin smirking at him.

"Lucky us. We get one of the boys who got his ass kicked by some girls." One of them said. "What?" Koji asked. "Last night, two boys were attacked by four girls. They couldn't remember the other one, but they said one of them had a weird hairstyle. Your hair matches perfectly!" One of them said. "Ha! We get the pussy!" One of them screamed.

Koji scowled something fierce. The Kunoichi involved were confused. Invading a hotel full of Kunoichi, in their minds, was suicide. (Of course, this little tidbit of information was omitted) Without anyone knowing, Koji was viewing the audience from the corner of his eyes. The girls were looking confused. They couldn't have done it. Many smirks and mocking glances were also in the crowd. The Konoha nin who knew of him also looked confused. Probably because they know of the temper that-

There! He caught it!

He turned to that looked, and his scowl became even fiercer. That look was one of smug victory. Gale Kazekiri was looking like he won a battle, and Koji knew he was the one who did this. He would pay. In both their minds, it felt like everyone else disappeared, as they both glared at each other.

"Hey, sissy man! You gonna fight?" One of them screamed. When Koji turned to look at them, they all felt a chill go down their spines. Koji looked normal, but his eyes looked cold and hollow. They all backed slowly, except for one guy from Rock.

This guy was HUGE!! Koji had to look up at him, and he smirked.

"Puny kid sissy! I smash sissy!" The guy said. "Hn. You're a big guy. Sadly, that won't help you." Koji said in such a deadly calm, everyone felt a small form of fear well up in them. The giant guy yelled in anger, and threw a giant fist at him.

Koji merely slid out of the way, and unleashed a 5 hit combo, and blasted him into the air. As the giant fell back towards earth, Koji walked under him. Everyone witnessed as the man hit the ground, and dust flew everywhere. When it cleared, everyone looked really scared, Sasuke looked slightly amazed, and Gale glared harshly.

Koji's right hand was in the air, pulsing with electricity, and holding the giant in the air. "Hope you finished taunting me. Because now I'm pissed." Koji said with a chilling calm. He tossed the giant into the air a little, and punched him, sending him blasting into the walls.

"Now, who wants to be next?" Koji asked, his eyes were glowing with evil. Everyone else converged around him, and Koji smirked. "So be it." Koji said. He put both his hands into fists, and brought them in front of him. He extended his leg outwards, and got into a stance. Everyone from the Cloud Village looked real intimidated by this stance.

"What's up with them?" Naruto asked. "That stance is quite familiar to anyone who lives in the Cloud Village." Sanosuke said. "Just like how Konoha as the Hyuuga Style Gentle Fist, the Cloud Village has the Masamune Clan and the Masamune Style Tiger Fist." Sanosuke explained. "Tiger Fist?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. Masamune is a royal family in Cloud. The Tiger Fist is something close to the martial arts used in China. Their family originated from there, and they've been in Cloud for generations. Their Taijustu is amazing." Lee said. "Anything involving Taijutsu you got covered, don't you?" Sanosuke asked. "Of course!" Lee screamed.

Koji held his stance, and the others began circling him slowly. One of them, having enough of the ceasefire, charged him. Koji slid his foot around, and caught him in the gut with his right fist. After that everyone charged him.

Koji smirked.

He slid, and unleashed a quick combo that knocked another one out. He turned, and parried another fist with his left, and brought his right around, catching the nin in the face. He brought his hands around, and maneuvered a fist aimed at his face away, and brought his elbow into the nin's gut.

4 down, 15 to go!

He began hopping backwards, as they charged again. One of the over swung, and Koji caught his shoulder, and flipped him over. Since he was close to the wall, the nin hit the wall back first, and Koji rammed his shoulder into the wall.

(Ouch.) The other competitors thought to themselves. That looked really painful, and his outline was visible on the concrete he was slammed into. Koji turned to look at the other nin, his eyes were white with evil. His demeanor was like that of a demon, and the other guys loked like they damn near wet their pants. He took one step, and they all took a step backwards.

"No running away. I'm in a VERY foul mood." Koji said, taking another step. They all took another step back, and Koji smirked. "You all lose." And with that, Koji disappeared. In a flash, elbows, fists, and knees were being tossed, and a fist thrown to the sky unleashed an electric blast that sent everyone within the arena flying all over the place.

"Phew. I feel MUCH better!!" Koji said, cracking his knuckles. 19 nin were sprawled all over the place, in pain. Koji walked to the stands, ignoring the amazed looks everyone gave him. The moment he made it past Gale, something was said loud enough for only him and Gale to hear. He walked calmly, while Gale glared viciously at him. _"Watch your back, Gale Kazekiri. Your ass is mine."_

"Seems like Koji's found a rival." Shiro said, and Nekobe shrugged. "He's a strong capable boy. He can manage." Nekobe said. Him and Shiro were sitting next to Tsuande and Shizune.

"You know, you should ask that girl out. She obviously likes you." Shiro said, taking a teasing shot at Nekobe. Shizune and Tsunade were somewhat listening to them, and Shizune blushed something fierce. "Yeah, just like you and Tsunade-sama have been hitting on each other since you were 25." Nekobe said. That caused Shiro to smirk at him, and Tsunade gave Shiro and Nekobe a side glance.

"Go get your girl." Shiro said, and Nekobe adjusted his black sunglasses. "She'll come to me." He glanced over to Shizune's direction, and was amused to see Shizune blush.

"She wants you!" Shiro whispered obnoxiously loud, causing Shizune to turn even redder, and cause Nekobe to turn a little red as well. "Go flirt somewhere else. Old people hitting on each other is sick." Nekobe said, and smirked smugly when both Sannin blushed.

_(Man, I wonder if I made the right decision when I became a Shadow Blade. Those two are complete retards.)_ Kimimaro thought to himself.

_(Same Place: Scene Change)_

On the top of the battle site, stood two men. "You know, getting the Kyuubi will be a hassle with three Sannin here." The shorter man glanced at his partner, and shrugged.

"It can't be helped Kisame. We are merely here to watch their movements." Itachi said. Just then, a girl, around Itachi's age, grasped onto his arm. "Here you are, Itachi-kun!" She said. Kisame looked quite amused, while Itachi maintained his outer calm.

"Kanzaki. Why are you here?" Itachi asked. "Wow! The desert is SO beautiful!" Kisame and Itachi both sweat dropped, intrigued by her actions. "How could leader have someone who is as ditzy as her?" Kisame asked. "Who knows. Leader is strong enough to do whatever he wants." Itachi said.

"He's stronger than you?" Kisame asked, amused. "Do I follow his orders?" Itachi asked. "Well…yeah." Kisame said. "And do you do what I say?" Itachi asked. "Yes." Kisame said. "Then that's the order of command. I follow his orders, and you follow mine." Itachi said, and Kisame smirked. "Smart-ass way of saying leader is stronger than you." Kisame said.

"Let's get Ice Cream!" Kanzaki said, and both nin sweat dropped again. "She's really an S-Rank Missing Nin?" Kisame asked. Itachi shrugged his shoulders, and sighed. "We'll never know. Something along the lines of Tobi's credibility as an Akatsuki member." Itachi said. Kisame chuckled a little.

Despite popular belief, all members of Akatsuki (the ones currently alive at least) were human. Itachi didn't smile, but he smirked every now and then. Kisame loved to fish, despite being compared to a shark. Deidara was a sculptor. That was forgotten because he keeps blowing his creations up. Zetsu took care of the gardens at the Hideout. That guy had one hell of a Green Thumb. Being a plant may have helped. Tobi and Kanzaki seemed too innocent to be considered criminals. And no one knew who the hell Leader was, and what he did, or how he knew everything. Yep, a normal day in the lives of 7 S-Rank Missing Nin.

"Ice cream huh? Fine. Let's go." Itachi said. "Hey! Your treating me like a child!" Kanzaki said. "You act like one." Kisame said, and she glared at him. "Do not!" She replied, acting childish.

_(Another area in the Arena)_

As this argument lasted, battles were being waged in the arena. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Sanosuke had all blown their competition away. "Explain why we are here again." Kabuto asked, sighing.

"I want to see how the Leaf Nin have progressed. They were quite strong. I want to make sure every thing is in my favor when I invade them again." Orochmaru said. "That's a very evil thing." Orochimaru and Kabuto turned, and 15 portals of darkness shot out Association 15. "Spying to prepare a Village's downfall." One of them said, smirking behind the shadow his hood made.

"Who are you people?" Kabuto asked, adjusting his glasses. "We are a group of 15 nin looking to rule the continent. Sadly, there are a few problems standing in the way. You, Orochimaru, are one of them." Their supposed leader said.

"Orochimaru-sama never met you guys." Kabuto said. "That's a shame. He is to die today." Their leader said, walking towards them as the other members left in their portals. Kabuto was about to make a retort, but Orochimaru held his hand up to stop him.

"Stay back Kabuto. This guy has some powers that my dark chakra may not be able to handle." Orochimaru said. The nin smirked behind his hood, but Kabuto and Orochimaru didn't know. "You would look out for your precious partner in crime?" He asked.

"It can't be helped. He's the best Medic Nin I know, and he has many uses." Orochimaru said. Kabuto shrugged, a little confused that Orochimaru would openly compliment his Medic Skills. "Well then, little snake. Let's play." The Association Leader said, and two crimson chakra blades shot out his cloak.

They looked like lightsabers, but they also looked blunt. (Think Xemnas's Twin Blades from Kingdom Hearts 2)

He charged, and Orochimaru pushed Kabuto out the way to block the blades. Orochimaru opened his mouth, and the Kusanahi shot out of his mouth, nearly hitting the Association Leader. Orochimaru stretched his hand out to catch the blade before it shot too far out.

"The ability to stretch your limbs out. That's quite a jutsu." The leader said. "I guess this changes the way I will view this. I didn't take this skill into account. I will be back." He said, disappearing in a portal of darkness.

"What the hell was that about?" Kabuto asked. "Don't know. But maybe Tsunade and Jiraiya should know about this." Orochimaru said. "You're going to meet them?" Kabuto asked.

"No choice. If I'm a target, then those two will be as well. They need to stay alive in order to help kill these new guys, and Akatsuki as well." Orochimaru said. "I guess." Kabuto said.

_(Back in the Arena)_

As THAT as going on, the rest of the fights had ended, and the Final 16 was chosen. "Will the Final 16 please come to the arena!" Baki said, as the 16 strongest walked in.

Koji and Sanosuke walked down, both talking about how they were going to kick each other's asses.

Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten all walked down, chatting animatedly.

Chouji and Shikamaru walked down, as did Sasuke and Naruto, who looked like they were arguing.

Kiba and Shino both walked down as well. Lee jumped the rail, and landed on the ground.

Gale of course floated down with his winds.

Then the last two nin walked down.

One looked like he could have been a Mist Nin, but he wore no headband, like Koji and Sanosuke. He had a blue shirt on, and black pants. His dark blue hair looked real unruly, and he had glasses on. Around his neck, was a chain with a small dog tag on it. Engraved was the name Shinji.

The last one had a mask on. He or she wore what looked like a blue outfit that would fit perfectly in the Mist Village.

"Now, since these last battles were so quick, we can begin the second round." Baki said, as Temari walked in. "I'll be watching over the fights. Good luck!" She said, smirking at them. "Now, the first two will battle. The rest, wait in the Standy Room!" Temari commanded.

The Name Generator started, and flashed names randomly for about 30 seconds, before two nin's names appeared on the board. Koji smirked. "Knock her out, Sano." Koji said. The board read Sanosuke Kazeyama vs. Tenten. Both teens walked to the arena, while everyone else walked to watch.

**ShadowRonin: The prelims are over, and the fights begin! Sanosuke and Tenten take the stage first. Can the Weapon Mistress handle the Missing Nin from Rock, or will she pierce through his rock hard Earth Techniques? Find out!!**

**Preview:**

Battles are beginning. Tenten and Sanosuke take the stage, as Lee and Mist prepare to fight it out. Battles and mysteries are revealed, and someone is looking to kill Koji. Who is out for his head, and who is Mist? Find out on:

Chapter 14: Brawls Begin! Sano vs. Tenten! The Battle of Speed!!


	14. The First Fights!

**Koji: Who do you think will win Naruto?**

**Naruto: Dude, Tenten has this.**

**Koji: My bet is on Sano. He's stronger than he shows!**

**Naruto: Meh! Konoha women are the toughest women around. Sanosuke doesn't stand a chance.**

**Koji: But you forget, Sano is a Missing-Nin from Rock. He's got some balls to be able to do something like that.**

Chapter 14: Brawls Begin! Sano vs. Tenten! A Battle of Speed!

Tenten and Sanosuke stood across from each other. While everything was going on, the sets filled with spectators, ambassadors from various villages, and the two Kages, Tsunade and Gaara, were sitting in two chairs, for the guests of honor in their respective kage robes.

"So, how do you see this fight going on?" Gaara asked. "That's obvious! Tenten will win! This rouge Shinobi doesn't stand a chance." Tsunade said. "I wouldn't be so sure of Tenten's victory." Gaara said. "Is that a bet?" Tsuade asked.

That was the moment that Tenten lost. EverythingTsunade bets on always loses. So let's see if Tenten can defy fate. Or if Tsunade's bad luck is stronger.

Tenten and Sanosuke stood across from each other. "Are you both ready?" Temari asked. Sanosuke nodded, while Tenten put her had into her pocket. "Begin!" Temari said, jumping away.

Tenten jumped the gun by tossing six kunai. Sanosuke slid out of the way, but wasn't ready for the seventh one, which he used a kunai to block. _(He's pretty quick with his feet.)_ Tenten thought, pulling out 10 more kunai.

She tossed them, and Sanosuke dodged them, but one redirected itself, and clipped him in the shoulder. _(The hell!?)_ Sanosuke thought to himself. He dodged the kunai, and caught sight of something gleaming in the sun. _(Shit! Chakra Strings!)_ Sanosuke thought, pullig out a shuriken and tossing it at the wires. The deadly star hit the wires, but they didn't snap.

He realized these were strong wires, so he decided that it was time to step the game up a little. "Secret Art: Diamond Infusion Jutsu!" Sanosuke said, turning his normal shuriken into a light blue star of superior sharpness. He tossed it, and the star cut right through the wires. Tenten jumped away, and gave Sanosuke a critical look.

"What was that? Those wires were made from a material that couldn't be cut by throwing weapons." Tenten asked. "My special jutsu. Secret to only two people on this continent." Sanosuke said, as Tenten smirked. "Then it's time to step this up some." Tenten said, pullig out two scrolls. Sanosuke held a competivive smirk, and Tenten set her scrolls to the ground.

Sanosuke became wary as she bent down to her knees, and the smirk she gave him made him reach for his index card. "Twin Rising Dragons!" Tenten screamed, jumped into the air, as the scrolls shot up, spinning in a double helix. Once she reached the height of her jump, she began pressing kanji symbols, and grabbing weapons.

Sanosuke began running as weapons were dropping from the sky at an alarming rate. Deciding to get to the offensive, he pulled his card out, and summoned Rock Smash. "Diamond Blade!" Sanosuke said. He used the Diamond Infusion Jutsu to turn Rock Smash into Diamond Blade, and pulled it behind him.

"Diamond Style Kenjutsu: Diamond Storm!" Sanosuke said, swinging his blade. Little shards of diamonds shot out of his blade, hitting the falling weapons. Sanosuke didn't hit all of them, and sealed Rock Smash before he caught a kunai that would have hit him in the head.

"You resealed your weapon?" Tenten asked as she landed. "You, being a weapon master, would immediately pull out a weapon that would put me at a severe disadvantage." Sanosuke said, getting into a Taijutsu stance. "Smart boy." Tenten said, summoning a Bo Staff. She spun it overhead, and got into a battle stance.

_(This is about to get interesting.)_ Sanosuke thought to himself, as Tenten charged. She swung, and Sanosuke ducked under it. She turned with the overswing, and brought her staff around again. This time, Sanosuke caught the weapon, and lifted it overhead, trying to slam Tenten into the ground.

Tenten landed, and jumped back into the air. She slid down the pole, and caught Sanosuke dead in the jaw. He slid along the ground and jumped to his feet to avoid the staff again. "Earth Style: Rock Fist Jutsu!" Sanosuke said, running and making handsigns.

When he reached the wall, he punched it hard. Out of the other end of the arena, a rock fist shot out, and nearly hit Tenten in the back of the head. She ducked at the last second, and that was what Sanosuke needed. "Earth Style: Rock Tomb Jutsu!" Sanosuke said, pressing his hands into the ground. Rocks shot out of the ground, and trapped Tenten.

"Got you!" Sanosuke said. He walked up to her, but a kunai grazed his shoulders. He looked confused, until he saw that Tenten was now a log. "Crap! Substitution Jutsu!" Sanosuke said.

Before he was pummeled by a rain of kunai, he created a Earth Dome to block the attack. For a few seconds, nothing happened, until 5 kunai, each with an Exploding Tag, hit the dome, and blew it to kingdom come. _(Now I've got you.)_ Tenten thought to herself. When the dust cleared, everyone was stunned. He was gone.

"What!? How!?" Tenten asked quietly to herself. Then, all of a sudden, the tree across from her blew up into pieces. Her eyes widened. She never saw any attack being launched. Then, another tree was decimated. This was serious! How can he be attacking if he isn't even visible?

She looked for some sort of sign of where his attack was coming from, and she saw it. The earth was slightly unturned from where he was moving, and she pulled out a kunai. She tossed it, and the kunai hit the dirt where Sanosuke was supposed to be. She smirked when the dirt stopped, but that didn't last long as the tree she was in was decimated.

_(What!? I didn't get him!?)_ Teten asked in her mind. She jumped off the tree debris, and tried for another tree. The moment she touched the ground, Sanosuke had her. "Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!" Tenten's foot was caught, and all of a sudden, she was dragged into the ground until only her head was above ground.

"You never stood a chance the moment I went underground." Sanosuke said, walking up to her head. "What the hell was that?" Tenten asked. "That would be a special jutsu I learned. I lay underground, and when someone steps on the ground, it sends shockwaves that I can feel. I call it the Ground Radar Jutsu!" Sanosuke said, smirking.

"Then the trees…" Tenten started. "Were to get you to land on the ground. Earth Torpedo Jutsu combined with my Earth Radar Jutsu makes me a underground Battleship!" Sanosuke said. "So ref. Call it. She can't do anything else." Sanosuke said. "Well, he has a point Tenten." Temari said. "I know." Tenten said, sighing.

"Then Sanosuke Kazeyama moves to the next round!" Temari said, and Sanosuke raised the earth so that Tenten could pull herself out. He smirked at her, and she smiled back. They shook hands, and left for their separate areas.

The Generator began again, and this time, Rock Lee was chosen. He whoopped, and jumped to the ground. His opponent was named Mist, but he didn't know who it was. The nin was wearing all blue, and a mask. Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi thought the mask looked oddly familiar, but they didn't think much about it.

"Alright, ready?" Temari asked. Both nin nodded. "Begin!" Temari said, jumping away. Lee stood in his Iron Fist Taijutsu stance, as his opponent stood there, ready. Lee smirked, and charged. "Leaf Hurricane!" Lee said, jumping into the air and bringing his foot around for a devastating kick. Mist blocked the attack quite easily. "That's some strength." Lee said to himself, as he bounced away. Mist then charged him.

"Ha! You can't outrun me!" Lee said, charging as well. Next came a flurry of punches and kicks that were not seen by most normal eyes. Shinobi eyes caught little bits and pieces, but Sasuke and Kakashi saw all of it clearly with their Sharingans. "Those two are really fast." Koji said, not being able to catch all of the movements clearly.

After a few seconds of this fast paced movements, Lee managed to get a fist in, but Mist twisted in the air, and landed quite gracefully. Mist began making handsigns, as Lee charged. "Water Style: Water Missle Jutsu!" Mist said, shooting a water missile towards Lee, who easily dodged the attack.

"Leaf Hurricane!" Lee said, jumping and performing his deadly roundhouse. Mist ducked under it just in time, but Lee used that momentum. "Leaf Whirwind!" Lee said, spinning on his feet, and tripping Mist up. Mist managed to not hit the ground by flipping off his hand, and began making more handsigns.

"Water Clones Jutsu!" Mist said, creating 5 clones. The all pulled out senbon, and charged with the intent of slashing Lee up. Lee dodged all the attacks, and killed the clones, who created large puddles around the arena. "Now, we begin Round 2." Mist said. He then used his right hand to create single handed seals.

"Secret Art: 1000 Needles of Death!" Mist said, as the puddles turned into ice needles in mid-air, and then charged towards Lee. He moved out of the way, and brought his fist into Mist's face. The mask the mysterious (To the others who never met this nin and those reading who still don't know who this is) nin wore got cracked, and chipped off, revealing brown eyes and a feminate face. Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened. "Haku!?" Naruto screamed.

On top of the arena, a nin, Mist Village Symbol worn sideways, cursed under his breath. "Damnit Haku." He muttered under his breath. "I guess you both didn't quite die." The nin turned around, and there stood Kakashi Hatake, the one who put Haku 6 feet under.

"Why are you here, Zabuza Momochi?" Kakashi asked, dead serious. "We were brought back to life to kill someone named Koji Hyosuke. That's all he told me." Zabuza replied. "You would tell me that!?" Kakashi asked, surprised he got a straight answer. "It has nothing to do with Konoha. I have no belief that you will interfere." Zabuza replied. Kakashi remained silent. _(On one side, he has a point. This doesn't involve Konoha. But letting him kill someone without any knowledge doesn't sit well with me.)_ Kakashi thought to himself.

"Why does whoever revived you want Koji Hyosuke dead?" Kakashi asked. "Something about stopping their plans of taking over the continent." Zabuza said absentmidedly. Kakashi sweat dropped. "Was I supposed to know that?" Kakashi asked. "Hell should I care. These guys are stronger than I am. Well, their leader is." Zabuza grudgingly admitted.

"So you're looking out for yourself and Haku?" Kakashi asked. "Sure. Why not?" Zabuza replied. _(His real answer is that he doesn't want to get his ass kicked.)_ Kakashi thought to himself amused. "I can't let that happen Zabuza. Koji is a friend of Konoha." Kakashi said.

"I see. That makes things a little tougher." Zabuza said, disappearing. _(He didn't try to fight. No Guillotine Sword on him.)_ Kakashi analyzed.

Back at the fight, Haku was obviously taking a beating. Lee had upped his speed, and Haku decided that this was not the kind of fight he could win without stepping his game up to the next level.

He made the seal, and the air around them dropped to about –5 degrees Celcius. (About somewhere in between 15 and 20 degrees Farenheit, I think. My chemistry has never been good outside of crunching numbers, and I can't remember what the calculation from Farenheight to Celcius is) "Now, Secret Art: Demonic Ice Mirror!" Haku said, as Ice Mirrors surrounded all around Lee. Haku walked into one of them, and he appeared in all of them.

"Good luck hitting me." Haku said, as he began nicking Lee with senbon needles. Lee dodged them to the best of his abilities, but he was getting nicked and hit a lot. Lee would have considered just running out of the trap, but Haku was so fast, that if he tried, he took more hits than necessary. So Lee decided to take off the sissy gloves. He pulled his orange leg warmers off, (Sakura couldn't get him to get rid of those) and smirked. He tossed the weights to the sides, towards the mirrors.

"He dropped a few weights. What's the big deal?" Koji asked outloud. Sasuke shrugged, since he didn't see the fight between Lee and Gaara nearly three years ago. The moment the weights hit the mirrors, they shattered under the weight of the weights, and the force used to throw them.

Sasuke and Koji's eyes widened. "Those aren't normal weights!" Koji said to himself. "Those are each at least 1000 pounds." Sasuke said to himself. "How the hell do you know!?" Koji asked. "Sharingan." Sasuke said, his eyes turning black again.

Lee began darting around the cage of Ice Mirrors, and Haku remained in his Mirrors. _(This isn't good. He's way to fast for me to track.)_ Haku thought to himself. He then decided to try and finish this quickly. He shot out of his mirror to another one for a better advantage. The moment he got out, he was grabbed by the ankle, and tossed. Instead of merely fazing through the mirror, the mirror turned to water as he flew through it.

Lee continued the attack, but Haku instantly froze the water, causing Lee to slip for one second. In that second, Haku shot back at him, making handsigns. "Water Style: Water Dome Jutsu!" Haku said, and he placed his hand on Lee's chest, and he was trapped in a dome filled with water.

"If you wish to maintain your life, I suggest you quit here and now." Haku said, as Lee was starting to have trouble holding his breath. He looked like he submitted, and raised his hand in defeat. Temari nodded, and Haku released the jutsu. "You're too fast. I had to outsmart you to win." Haku said, sighing. "No problem. Do what you have to do." Lee said.

"Then winner is Mist!" Temari said. Haku nodded, and went back to the other fighters. Lee was led over to his sensei, and sighed. "You did great Lee!" Gai said, patting Lee in the head. "Thank you, Gai-Sensei." Lee said, and they both gave smiles with the bright pinginess.

"Now, the next opponents will appear." Temari said, as the board lit up. When it stopped on both names, there was a competitive smirk. "ALRIGHT!!! My turn!" Koji screamed, jumping into the arena. He turned his headphones off, and put them away. His opponent? Hinata Hyuuga.

"Come on, little Firecracker! Show me what you got!" Koji said, leaning on the wall. Hinata slowly walked down, and they stood across from each other. _(This will be one great fight.)_ All the Jounin thought to themselves.

**ShadowRonin: That's right! Haku and Zabuza are alive, and kicking. Both are on a mission to kill Koji, but they aren't the only ones who want a crack at him. Hinata and Koji start things off, and we see how far they both have come. Keep in touch, and see what happens next!**

**Preview:**

The battles continue as Koji and Hinata take the stage. Can the Gentle Fist stand against the Tiger Fist? And Kiba gets to rock. His opponent? The mysterious nin with no affiliation to any village. Can Kiba beat this mysterious nin, and what powers does this boy hold? Next time on:

Chapter 15: Gentle Fist vs. Tiger Fist! Roar of the Wolf, and Gaze of the Demon!!


	15. Gentle Fist vs Tiger Fist!

**Naruto: Seems like Hinata-chan is about to kick Koji's ass!**

**Sasuke: Don't underestimate that boy. Something about him doesn't seem normal.**

**Naruto: How un-normal?**

**Sasuke: I would bet along the lines of your lack of intelligence.**

**Naruto: (Glares at Sasuke.)**

**Sasuke: Let's hope he knows what the Hyuugas are capable of.**

Chapter 15: Gentle Fist vs. Tiger Fist! Roar of the Wolf, and Gaze of the Demon!

Koji and Hinata stood across from each other, sizing each other up. "You both ready?" Temari asked. They both got into their Taijutsu stances, as Koji smirked.

"I'm warning you, I won't hold anything back." Koji said, and Hinata acted as though she wasn't fazed. "Begin!" Temari said, and got out of the way as Hinata was blasted dead into the wall. Everyone's eyes widened.

_(That was way too fast. I didn't even see him move!)_ Naruto thought to himself. _(The hell!?)_ Sanosuke thought to himself. Hinata slowly came out of the rubble, and she saw a smirking Koji. "Is that all you have, Hinata-hime?" Koji taunted. Hinata stood up, gave a somewhat intimidating glare, and stood back into her stance, and her Byakugan flashed fiercer than ever.

"Good!" Koji said, as he charged again. This time, Hinata blocked his attack, and tried to counterattack. Koji slid her fist out of the way, and their deadly dance began.

"Hyuuga-chan seems to be holding up quite well." Shiro said. "I guess. Hinata, from what I've been told, is somewhat shy and keeps to herself." Nekobe said. "Doesn't seem like that to me." Shiro said. "Maybe she has something against Koji." Nekobe suggested. "Nah. I don't sense any intent to do serious harm." Shiro said. "Then she must really want to win." Nekobe said.

Koji and Hinata attacked, parried, and counterattacked each other trying to get an edge over the other. The Gentle Fist attacks were being blocked by electric chakra coursing out of Koji's body. The blows and parries caused chakra to pulse out of each blow, and both were trying to find a vulnerable point. They both then brought their fists/palms back, ready to make another strike.

As they both hit, a flash of chakra pulsed out. There was silence, until Koji smirked. "Looks like we're back to square one." Koji said. They had both blocked each other with their free hands. Hinata smiled, and Koji's smirk became a little wider. "Step it up a notch?" Koji asked. Hinata nodded, and they both shot back. When they landed, Koji began going into seals.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Gun Jutsu!" Koji said, and he shot his beam of lightning energy. Hinata sidestepped it, and noticed that Koji was gone. _(The attack was to distract me.)_ Hinata thought to herself. She pulled out a kunai, and tossed it into one of the last remaining trees. Before it hit, Koji jumped out, stunned.

_(What!? I masked my chakra! She couldn't have seen me!)_ Koji thought to himself, running. _(The women of Konoha break the stereotype that kunoichi are weak…)_ Koji thought to himself, as he made a signal with his hands. Hinata was caught off guard, as 15 Koji's shot out from various trees, and began throwing kunai and Lightning Gun Jutsus.

Hinata merely changed her stance, and her arms began moving in a circle. Koji looked on, interested in this attack. "Eight Trigrams: Protection of the 64 Palms!" Hinata said, as she created a barrier of chakra, using the 64 Palms as a shield that blocked all the attacks quite easily. Koji charged, as the dust was in the air, and smirked.

_(She shouldn't be able to see me. I've got-)_ Koji thought, before Hinata appeared right next to him, catching him off guard. "Eight Trigrams: Two Palms!" Hinata said, ramming two palms into Koji.

"Four Palms!" She began speeding up. "Eight Palms!" Koji was getting his ass kicked. "16 Palms!" Koji was getting hit harder, and faster. "32 Palms!" Koji had lost visual of her palms moving, and was just taking blows he had no chance of stopping. "Eight Trigrams: 64 Palms!" Hinata said, blasting him with the last one. Koji hit the wall with quite a bit of force, and Hinata relaxed her stance. She was surprised when Koji began to stumble to his feet.

_(That was some attack! She just closed all my chakra points.)_ Koji thought to himself, as he put his hands into a seal. He released a large amount of chakra, and the sealed tenketsu were opened again.

_(Shit that hurt!)_ Koji thought to himself, as he glanced over to Hinata. "That was some attack. Sheesh, Konoha women are strong." Koji muttered to himself. Hinata looked at him confused by his words. "No matter, time to take it to the next level!" Koji said, as he created 5 Shadow Clones. The 5 Koji's charged, and Hinata got into a defensive stance.

One of them jumped into the air, and Hinata slid out of the way, and knocked him away, as she charged the real Koji. As she got closer, she dodged kunai and shuriken, and landed a blow to the heart on the real Koji. The clones all stopped, and Koji smirked.

"Sorry. You missed." Koji said, and turned into a log. The Shadow Clones disappeared. Koji smirked from a tree, and began making hand signs. "Now I will take her out. Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Jutsu!" Koji said, shooting a dragon out, that charged Hinata.

Hinata saw it, and dodged just in time, but Koji counted on that. Koji ran up begind her, as she turned around, and blasted him with a chakra charged palm. _(Damnit! She found out I was behind her again!)_ Koji thought to himself, a vein on his forehead.

Koji pulled out every shuriken, and kunai in his arsenal, and tossed them with everything he had. Hinata used the Palm Rotation, and knocked them out of the way. Koji smirked. _(She just spun like a top.)_ He thought that she would be dizzy. But when she stopped, she was in the stance for the 64 palms.

_(Okay, bring it! I'm ready!)_ Koji continued the charge, and he noticed that Hinata brought her arm across her body. _(Another stance?)_ Koji thought to himself. _(Her speed can't be any greater than that one attack!)_ Koji thought to himself. "Eight Trigrams…" _(Got you!)_ Koji screamed in his mind.

"Piercing Spark Claw!" Koji screamed, as his hand was charging with electric chakra. When he was one step away, he thrusted his claw. Hinata side stepped it easily, and brought her palm towards Koji's arm. The moment she hit, her eyes shot open.

"128 PALMS!!!" Hinata screamed, as she began wailing on Koji. _(What is this!? Her speed! It's…it's not right!!)_ Koji screamed in his mind, as Hinata was blasting Tenketsu. Koji was sliding back from the blows, but Hinata was sliding along with him, hitting and hitting and you know, for the hell of it, hitting some more. Once she hit 128, she blasted Koji througha another tree, and he hit the wall again, though this time, he flew through the wall.

_(Is it over?)_ Hinata asked in her mind. She listened for any signs of movement, but was stunned when a voice spoke right behind her ear. "Boo." She jumped away, and got back into her stance.

She was pleased that Koji looked beat up, and tired. But he still looked like he could go a few more rounds. "Why?" Hinata fnally asked, and Koji looked at her confused. "Why are you still able to use chakra, and jutsus?" Hinata asked.

"Oh. That's easy. I have two separate reserves of chakra. I was using my second reserve to unseal the normal chakra." Koji said, as he began making more seals. "Those attacks seem to have left you spent. I will kindly finish this." Koji said, as his right hand began sparking. He charged again, and Hinata got into a defensive stance. "Here it comes! Piercing Lightning Claw!" Koji screamed, charging and rearing his hand back.

Hinata prepared herself. As Koji was two steps away, the lightning in his hand fizzled. "Sike! Lightning Style: Lightning Gun Jutsu!" Koji said, and he shot her, point blank, with his lightning pistol. Hinata flew through the arena, and a Koji Shadow Clone caught her before she hit the wall. "Hn. She was a fighter." Koji said. Temari nodded, and announced Koji as the winner.

Some Medic Nin came and took Hinata away, while Koji walked to the stands, tired. The board lit up, and there was a loud woop. Inuzuka Kiba was chosen. Him and Akamaru jumped into the arena, and their opponent didn't move. The board read Shinji, nothing else.

Shinji looked up from the comic he was reading, and put it away. He adjusted the glasses he had on, and jumped into the arena. "You're Shinji? You look like a wimp!" Kiba screamed. Very Naruto-like. Shinji shrugged, and replied.

"Well, I may look a little meager, but I believe that I can take someone as brash and headstrong as you without any problem." Shinji said, and Kiba growled. "Is the dog a legal weapon?" Shinji asked. "Yeah! I always fight with Akamaru!" Kiba said, and Shinji shrugged. "If you really need a handicap like that, then what ever." Shinji said.

"Grrr. Akamaru, take 5. I can beat this wimp without your help." Kiba said, and Akamaru nodded, and stood by ready when it was time. "Begin!" Temari said, hopping away.

Kiba smirked, and got into a stance. Shinji put his hands into his pockets, and stood ready. "Get ready!" Kiba screamed, charging. Shinji nodded, and brought his right hand out.

"Water Style: Water Pistol Jutsu!" Shinji said, making his right hand look like a pistol, and shooting a water bullet out of it. Kiba barely dodged the attack. _(No hand seals!? That's unbelievable!)_ Kiba thought, as he brought out a kunai. He got in range, and began his attack. Shinji calmly dodged each attack like it was nothing.

"You overswing quite a bit. Sure you're Jounin quality?" Shinji asked. "Bastard!" Kiba screamed, and Shinji dodged another ill thrown attack. Shinjiji then brought his hand out, and smashed his fist into Kiba's face. Kiba skidded across the arena, and Akamaru stopped him from hitting the wall to hard.

"Little Puppy had enough?" Shinji asked. Kiba growled, and got to his feet. "Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All Fours Jutsu!" Kiba said, as his chakra began to become more beastlike, and he was on all fours. (Dur!) "Hn. Now he's become a dog." Shinji said. Kiba growled, and charged. Kiba picked up speed, and flew right by Shinji, who dodged the attack.

He thought he was okay, but a slash across the side of his shirt told him he barely avoided the attack. _(Got to get a little serious.)_ Shinji thought to himself. Kiba began barreling towards him, and Shinji pulled out a scroll.

"**BAD DOG!"** Shinji screamed, and whacked Kiba dead in the head. Kiba actually whimpered like a dog, and walked to the corner. Everyone sweat dropped. Akamaru was turning his head away in shame.

"Hey! You bastard! Stop messing with me!" Kiba screamed. "Nope. You are easy to mess with." Shinji said. "GAH!!! Akamaru, let's rock!" Kiba said, and Akamaru barked. He pulled out a pouch in his pocket, and tossed Akamaru a pill. Kiba took one as Akamaru ate one.

_(Soldier pills?)_ Shinji thought to himself. Kiba began to look even more beastly, and Akamaru turned red. "Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: Man Beast Clone!" Kiba said, and Akamaru turned into a exact replica of Kiba. _(Eh? That makes things a little tough.)_ Shinji thought to himself. Both dogmen charged, and Shinji prepared himself.

Both Kiba's charged, and one of them tried a punch. Shinji blocked it, and the other Kiba punched him in the face. Shinji flipped, and landed okay, and dodged another punch. He jumped away, but was caught in the back of the head. He hit the ground hard, and flipped in time to avoid a heel to the face. He was on his feet, and ready to get on the offensive.

"Water Stye: Water Pistol Jutsu!" Shinji said, launching water bullets all across the arena, hitting both Kibas, and sending them into the walls. He relaxed, but jumped when some smoke grenades landed near him.

"That was close." Shinji said to himself. "Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: Twin Piercing Fang!" Shinji looked down, and saw two whirwinds of black fly at him. He couldn't' aerial dodge, so he was hit, hard. He landed on the ground, and flipped onto his feet.

_(Shit. That was a powerful move.)_ Shinji thought to himself. "Had enough?" Kiba asked, as the other Kiba stood next to him. "Not even close." Shinji said as he began making handsigns. "Water Style: Water Vortex Jutsu!" Shinji screamed, and a giant wave of water shot out, hitting both Kibas, and sending them flying.

"Ha! Wet dogs!" Shinji joked, but Kiba and Akamaru, who de-transformed, both stood tall. "Now Akamaru! Dynamic Air Marking!" Kiba screamed. Akamaru barked, and jumped into the air. Kiba charged, and Shinji dodged the sad attack. But he was hit by a stream of dog piss.

"Your dog just pissed on me, you ass-hole!" Shinji screamed, his eyes white. "GOOD!!! ULTIMATE NINJA ART OF BEAST MIMICRY: TWIN HEADED WOLF!!" Kiba screamed, and both him and Akamaru fused into one, and became a giant two headed dog.

"WHAT!?!?" Shinji screamed, obviously stunned. "Dog boy can do that!?" Naruto screamed. "No way!" Koji screamed.

Shinji started into two sets of snarling eyes, and actually smirked. "You startled me with this. But I can make this work in my favor." Shinji said. The giant dog growled, and slammed one of his paws. Shinji got out of the way in time, and smirked.

"That all you-" Shinji started, before he was hit by one of the heads. Shinji slid along the grond, before the giant wolf snatched Shinji and tossed him into the air. "ULTIMATE TWIN HEADED ATTACK: ULTIMATE PIERCING FANG!!!" The giant dog screamed/growled, and took to the skies, spinning wildly. Shinji couldn't block the attack, so he brought his hands out in front of him, to prevent some damage. The attack hit head on, and Shinji flew.

He hit the ground hard, and Kba and Akamaru de-transformed. "Serves you right!" Kiba screamed. Then, Shinji broke into a water bomb, and the arena filled with water. "What!?" Kiba screamed. "Try to escape my trap." Shinji said. Kiba looked down, and saw that Shinji was standing underwater, smirking.

"Bastard! You trying to drown me!?" Kiba screamed. "Yep." Shinji said, smirking even wider. Kiba tried to swim to get some air, but Shinji held his feet. Kiba would have screamed, but he was underwater, so he tried to hold his breath. He looked frantically for Akamaru, but he couldn't find him.

"Sorry Kiba." Shinji said. Kiba's breath ran out, and he released his breath. "And all it took, was one minute." Kiba looked at him, with the last of his life, and reality shattered like glass. Kiba was on his knees, panting heavily, but he wasn't wet. Akamaru was next to him, knocked out. "You like that?" Shinji asked. "What?" Kiba asked.

"You fell into my gaze." Shinji said, adjusting his glasses, which had fallen off. "What?" Kiba asked again. "I won't elaborate. You can figure it out on your own if you wish." Shinji said, and walked away. Both nin knew Kiba's chakra was bare, and Kiba admitted defeat. "Winner, Shinji!" Temari said.

"Dude. That was amazing!" Koji said. "Of course you would think so." Sanosuke said. "Hey Shinji! That was great!" Koji said. Shinji glanced at him, and smirked. "You will find out next, Koji Hyosuke." Shinji said. Koji looked confused, but then smirked. "Your little attack won't beat me." Koji said with confidence, and Shinji shrugged, and walked away. "We'll see little man." Shinji said.

"With that, we will take a day break. Meet here at 9:00 tommorow. We will repair the arena while the rest wait." Temari said. There were cheers, and everyone left. "Too bad I couldn't fight. Eh, Ero-Sennin?" Naruto asked. "Shut up. What have I said about using that name?" Jiraiya asked.

"The dobe wouldn't listen even if you explained it like he was retarded." Sasuke replied, earning a glare from Naruto. Jiraiya chuckled, and then something in his mind sent him a subliminal message. His face darkened, and he glanced towards the two nin. "Time to leave, boys." Jiraiya said. "Fine." Naruto said. Sasuke shrugged. "I'll catch up." Jiraiya said, and he disappeared in a poof of smoke.

_(5 miles from the Sand Village)_

Outside of the Sand Village, Jiraiya reappeared. "Jiraiya!?" He turned, and saw Tsunade there, looking like she was waiting for something. "You're here?" Jiraiya asked. "Something felt like it was calling to me." Tsunade said.

"I know exactly who it was." They turned, and saw that Orochimaru was standing there, but he wasn't smirking or anything. He looked dead serious. "You!? Why are you here!?" Tsunade asked, as she got into a stance.

"This is bigger than any of us." Orochimaru said, shrugging. "You had a change of outfit?" Jiraiya asked, smirking.

Orochimaru wasn't wearing the outfit he normally wore. He still had the same shirt and pants, but instead of the purple pretzel bow, he had on a black trench coat with the words 'Darkness' on the back in purple.

"Decided to change the wardrobe a little. I could get you one if you like. It would be adorned with the word 'Pervert'." Orochimaru said, smirking. "If you two are done being idiots, I want to know why we were summoned here. Or are you here to try your hand at beating both of us again?" Tsunade said, smirking.

"Sorry, hime. I don't particularly have time for short tempered drunkards." Orochimaru replied, smirking. "Says the Pedophile!" Tsunade replied, and Orochimaru shot her a vicious glare, while Jiraiya chuckled. "I don't see what's so funny, you damn pervert!" Orochimaru said, and Jiraiya glared just as viciously.

"That's hitting below the belt!" Jiraiya said. "Says who?" Orochimaru asked. "Me!" Jiraiya said, and they both glared, lightning appearing from both their eyes. They then began arguing, turning into little chibi versions of themselves, while Tsunade swet dropped, and groaned.

"Sad to see such strong nin acting like children." Tsunade said. "I could say the same, Slug Queen." Tsunade turned, and saw a portal of darkness appear. Jiraiya and Orochimaru stopped their argument, and brought their attention to the one that had summoned them.

"Hn. You again?" Orochimaru asked. "You know him?" Jiraiya asked. "We talked earlier. My name is Xin. I am the leader of Association 15." Xin said, pulling his hood down, revealing long black hair, and two separate colored eyes. The right one gold, the left one silver.

"It seems all three of you got my message." Xin said, smirking quite evilly. "Why are we here?" Tsunade asked. "Tsunade, The Slug Queen, Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, and Orochimaru, the Snake Charmer. It is here you three **DIE!!**" He said, and he outstretched his arms, and his two red sabers shot out.

"Looks like we will have to put our differences aside." Jiraiya said. "And work as a team." Tsunade said. "You'll regret asking to fight the Konoha Legendary Sannin." Orochimaru said, and they all stood side by side, in battle stances. "Yes. Bring it!" Xin said, and he took off.

**ShadowRonin: That's right! It's come to this! The Legendary Sannin of Konoha have banded together to take on the leader of the Association 15. But this guy isn't some sissy. Can they beat him, or is he too much for even the 3 strongest nin Konoha ever produced?**

**Preview:**

The fight that has been pending since the end of this chapter is underway! Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru team up to face Xin, the Association 15 leader. Meanwhile, Koji has a run in with a few friends from the beginning. Can the Sannin pull this off, or will they die fighting? Find out on:

Chapter 16: The Sannin Come Together! The Association Reveal Their Plan


	16. Sannin Come Together

**Hello. My name is Koji Hyosuke, main OC of this fic. I have joined the Jounin Exams to become a member of the Shadow Blades. But truthfully, I want to travel the world before finding a way back to my original world. I don't remember it, but I know this isn't it. Oh well. The Exams continue, after this chapter!!**

Chapter 16: The Sannin Come Together! The Association Reveal Their Plan!

Xin charged at Jiraiya, who jumped away from the other two Sannin. He blocked the blades, and both nin dodged the blade that came launching at Xin. "Watch it!" Jiraiya screamed, and Orochimaru smirked. "My bad!" Orochimaru said, as his sword shot back at him. Xin landed, and his blades began moving on their own.

The blades charged at Jiriaya and Tsuade, while he charged Orochimaru. Tsunade and Jiraiya began moving around to avoid the two blades, and Xin began making handsigns. "Earth style: Earth Spire Jutsu!" Xin said, as the ground began shooting spikes at Orochmaru. Orochimaru knocked the things out of the way, but was kicked dead in the face.

He slid along the ground, and jumped to his feet, as Xin blazed towards him. "Heads up!" Jiraiya screamed, making seals. "Summoning Jutsu: Bringing Down The House!!" Jiraiya said, pressing his hands into the ground. An orange frog appeared in the air, and belly flopped onto Xin.

Xin managed to use a Mud Clone at the last second, and got away. Xin popped out of the ground, and was stunned when Orochimaru appeared next to him. "Shadow Snakes!" Xin jumped out of the way to avoid the deadly snakes, but wasn't expecting Tsunade to appear from mid-air. Xin dodged the attack, but was amazed when a giant crater appeared from the heel kick.

_(They are stronger than even I thought.)_ Xin thought to himself. He called his sabers back, and smirked. "It's been a while since I've had to use my full power." Xin said. "Now, let's rock!" Xin said.

_(Sand Village)_

Koji and Sanosuke were walking along the Sand Village. "Hmm. There is something that doesn't seem right." Sanosuke said. "Huh?" Koji asked. "There is a big fight happening, and we don't know it." Sanosuke said. "Nah! Just something you ate last earlier." Koji said, waving it off.

"I guess." Sanosuke said, reluctantly. They took a few more steps, before Sanosuke stopped. "Something up?" Koji asked, and Sanosuke began making hand signs. "Earth Style: Earth Dome Jutsu!" Sanosuke said, and a dome of earth surrounded them. The dome came up just as a blast of wind hit the dome, denting it.

"The hell!? An attack?" Koji asked. Then, a vibrating sound came through a part of the dome, and both nin felt a little disorient. "Okay, we need to fight back." Koji said, as his hands began sparking with electric chakra. "Hold them back." Sanosuke said, and he melted into the ground. "I thought you would never ask." Koji said, as he blasted the dome with chakra.

_(Outside Sand)_

Jiraiya and Orochiamru were both on their knees, panting. "This guy has quite a bit of fight." Orochimaru said, and Jiraiya glanced at him. "No kidding. He's giving us three a pretty good run." Jiraiya said.

"Both of you are done already?" Xin asked, as though he wasn't even tired. "Where the hell is Tsunade?" Orochiamaru asked. "Don't know, but I trust she will help us." Jiraiya replied. Xin charged at them, but a white blur caused him to jump away. When he landed, the three Sannin had him surrounded.

"Now! Summoning Jutsu!!" All three said, as they made the seals, and brought their hands into the ground. The three summoned their strongest summons. Gamabunta, Manda, and Katsuyu towered over the Association leader.

"Now, with everything we have!" Jiraiya screamed. Gamabunta shot a giant stream of fire, Manda shot a bomb of poison, and Katsuyu shot some of her slug acid. Xin looked on, and smirked. The joint attack hit, and a giant explosion shook the Sand Village. The three giant summons disappeared thanks to the intense blast of power.

The three Sannin landed on the ground, tired. "I think we got him." Jiraiya said. "Think again!" Xin appeared out of nowhere, and charged them. He swung, and caught Jiraiya dead in the jaw. Orochimaru blocked one of the attacks, but he was hit in the ribs, and kicked in the face, and Xin turned as Tsunade charged him.

"Extend! Crimson Sabers!" Xin commanded, and his weapon got longer, and hit Tsunade in the face, and he turned, and swung his weapon, and hit Tsunade again, sending her near both Jiraiya and Orochimaru. "I think I'm spent." Jiraiya said, panting heavily. "Tsunade doesn't even have the chakra to hold her Genjutsu."

Indeed, Tsunade now looked old.

"My dark chakra didn't even help." Orochimaru mumbled to himself. "Now, I think I will kill off you three." Xin said, approaching them and drawing one of his blades. Before he could get near them, he felt a presence approaching. He jumped out of the way just in time to avoid a Raikiri.

"You don't seem too friendly." Kakashi Hatake had arrived, just in time, along with Shizune and Kabuto. "More of your friends?" Xin asked. "Just a couple of nin looking out for their leaders." Kabuto said, fixing his glasses.

"You three can't stop me! The Sannin couldn't even stop me!" Xin said. "Can't blame us for trying." Kakashi said, as he powered up another Raikiri.

_(Sand Village)_

Koji stood from the debris created when he destroyed the Earth Dome, waiting for the next attack. He turned, and parried an arm. The arm felt like it was made of metal, and it created a weird sound.

_(That sound is very familiar.)_ Koji thought to himself. He turned to look at the nin he blocked, and smirked. "Dosu!" Koji said. "Yep, it's me. But you didn't seem to detect me until now. How do you expect to become Jounin with pathetic senses?" Dosu said, smirking under his bandages.

"Bastard! Where are the other two?" Koji asked. "I got one of them." Sanosuke said, holding Zaku by the back of his shirt, much to the dismay of the hot-headed Shadow Blade. "So you were the one launching Air Missles at us." Koji said. "Dosu said it would test you." Zaku said, smirking. "And you getting caught was part of the learning experience?" Koji asked, smirking. "Shut up!" Zaku screamed back.

"So, where is Kin?" Koji asked. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Zaku asked. "She ditched you guys for pissing her off?" Koji asked. "Shut up!" Zaku said, and Koji smirked. "What did you guys do?" Koji asked. "Hn. She left with this guy with long black hair and piercing blue eyes. Looked like a desert warrior." Dosu said.

"Eh!? Gale!?" Koji screamed. "You know him?" Zaku asked. "I know that wind-launching bastard!!" Koji said. "He had a run in with Sakura." Sanosuke said. "Oh! Isn't she that girl from the Chuunin Exams 3 years ago?" Dosu asked. "Pink hair?" Zaku asked. "That's her." Koji said. "He didn't seem all that bad. He looked a little cold, but he didn't seem like a bad person." Dosu said.

"I say we spy!" Koji said, smirking. "I'm down with that! Lead the way!" Zaku said, and they both took off. "Hot-headed idiots." Dosu and Sanosuke mumbled, following them.

_(Outside Sand Village)_

Xin smirked evilly at the three Sannin followers. "You three really think you can stop me?" Xin asked. "No. But we can slow you down until ANBU appear." Kakashi said, and Xin glared. Kakashi, Kabuto, and Shizune stood ready as Xin charged.

"Get back!" Kakashi screamed. "Plan on trying yourself, fool?" Xin asked. "No, I plan on killing you in one shot! Rairyukiri (Lightning Dragon Blade)!!" Kakashi said, and he thrust his lightning filled hand towards Xin. But instead of being a jab, the chakra shot out of his hand, and soared at Xin, in the form of a dragon. Xin stopped, and looked on, caught off guard.

_(What!? This attack! It's….unbelieveable!)_ Xin was hit by the blast, and a giant explosion caused a crater to appear where Kakashi shot his ultimate attack. Kakashi fell to his knees. _(That attack took almost as much chakra as my Mangekyo.)_ Kakashi thought to himself. Shizune helped Kakashi to his feet, and they both looked to Kabuto, who was looking on with a slight smirk.

"Seems like the Copy Nin learned a new trick." Kabuto said. "If it's enough to win, then that's that." Jiraiya said. "I agree." Tsunade said. Before they could begin the trek back, they could hear someone laughing quite coldly. They turned, and in the dust storm, Xin walked out, not a scratch on him.

"That can't be…" Shizune said. "This guy is on a whole other level." Kabuto said. "Don't you have that dark chakra, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto asked. "I can't control all of it. What I could control, I used. That wasn't enough." Orochimaru replied.

"Silly nin. It's time for you to die." Xin said, as he pulled out his sabers. He was about to end this, but he could feel other presences coming. "Shit. ANBU." Xin said. "You all lucked out this time. But next time, you won't be so lucky." Xin stepped into his portal, and disappeared. All six nin sighed breaths of relief.

"That was way too close." Jiraiya said. "Shows that something evil is afoot." Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses again. "I request to take Sasuke with me back to Sound once the Jounin Exams are over." Everyone looked to Orochimaru, shocked silent.

"And why the hell should we do that!?" Tsumade asked. "If these guys attack again, we will need all the help we can get. There are a few things that Sasuke needs to learn from me before he is truly ready." Orochimaru said. "We would never-" Tsunade started, before Jiraiya quieted her by raising his hand.

"If we agree to this, will Sasuke return to Konoha?" Jiraiya asked. **"WHAT!?!?** You better not be doing what I think you're doing!!" Tsunade bellowed. "We don't have a choice. Though he is evil, he is still one of the strongest nin alive. He needs us as much as we need him at this moment." Jiraiya said.

"Agreed. Your deaths at this time would be a great misfortune for me." Orochimaru said. "Okay. We'll trust you, Orochimaru. Only because it can't be helped at this time." Tsunade said.

_(Inside Sand Village)_

Of all the things he's ever done, he could truly say this counted as one of the most underhanded. Here Koji was, along with Sanosuke, Dosu, and Zaku, spying on what Kin and Gale were doing. So far, Gale seemed to be acting quite nicely, besides speaking unless spoken to.

"He seems to be the strong silent type." Dosu said. "Thanks for the great analysis we wouldn't have come up on our own." Zaku said, smirking. "Guys. Now isn't the time." Koji said. Before they could retort, a blast of wind shot the tree they were hiding in down.

"So, spying on the competition?" Gale said, smirking at Koji. Koji and the others stood, and dusted themselves off. "No, making sure you don't try anything else." Koji said. "You mean with the pink haired girl? I wasn't trying anything. I was trying to get an analysis of what the Leaf Nin could do." Gale said, shrugging.

"What?" Koji asked. "You see, I figured if I hit on one of them, chances are one of them would get combative, and I could gauge their skills." Gale said. "You sort of ruined it by claiming that she was your girlfriend." "So why try to make me look like a wimp?" Koji asked. "You seem to think really low of me. I didn't do that. I merely was smirking because I found it amusing that you could put yourself into that kind of situation." Gale said, smirking.

"And I think you are a bastard." Koji said. "Only because assumptions have blown up in your face. Don't you know that when you assume, you make an ass out of yourself?" Gale asked, his smirk getting broader. "And do you know it's bad to insult someone, Windbag?" Koji replied, smirking when Gale's smirk turned into a scowl.

"You picking a fight?" Gale asked. "No, but I wouldn't mind a quick workout before dinner." Koji said, as electric chakra began coursing through his chakra system. "You guys. A fight in broad daylight wouldn't be wise. Also you both may be disqualified from the Jounin Exams, since you both are, you know, in them." Sanosuke said. Koji and Gale glanced at him, then back at each other.

"Hn. Not even worth my time." Gale said, walking away. "Want to try that again!?" Koji screamed, his eyes white. "Let it die, dude." Sanosuke said. "Can't! That guys just pisses me off." Koji said, crossing his arms. "Well, mission accomplished. Kin knows we were trailing her." Dosu said.

"And now she will unleash her feminine fury." "Nah! Unlike the Konoha Girls, Kin seems level headed." Koji said, before a fist to the back of the head sent him into the world of darkness.

_(Hospital Entrance)_

"Told you so." Sanosuke said. "Yeah yeah." Koji replied. Koji had spent the last 3 hours in the hospital for this one. "Sorry. I thought you believed I couldn't handle myself." Kin said. "Hn. No need to worry about little old me." Koji said.

(What did you say to her?) Koji asked Dosu silently. (Told her you were worried since you weren't with us when we found you.) Dosu replied. Both nin nodded at each other. "So Koji, you in the Jounin Exams now? You can become a Shadow Blade if you succeed!" Kin said, and Koji shrugged. "That's what I hope." Koji said.

"I bet. You just want a reason to be able to travel." Sanosuke said. Koji glanced at him. "So?" Koji replied, and Sanosuke sighed.

_(Somewhere in the Sand Village)_

"Hn. The Sannin had unexpected help." Xin said. Then, 14 other portals appeared. "Did you find it?" Xin asked. "Of course. No one can hide from my eyes." One of them said, as he pulled out 5 runes.

"Ah. The Runes of the Galaxy. With these, we can travel worlds, and conquer them. Here's the plan. T.K, Sidestep, and Blade. You three will remain in this world, and conquer it in the name of the Association." Xin said, as the Association split into teams of three.

"5 worlds is where we will begin. Slowly, but surely, we will conquer the galaxy!" Xin said, smirking quite evilly. The other 4 groups, including his, disappeared in white lights emitted by the Runes. "So, it looks like we get to work together again!!" Sidestep said, smiling quite radiantly.

"Joy…" T.K said. "I say we get right to work!" Blade said. "No. We wait." T.K said, as he disappeared into his black portal. "Oh! No fun!!" Sidestep said, disappearing into his own portal. "Oh man. Stuck with the silent one and the idiot of the group. I agree T.K. Joy." Blade said, disappearing as well.

**ShadowRonin: And so, Xin came close to killing all the Sannin, before Kakashi stalled him long enough for ANBU to appear. Before anything happens, I'm going to explain myself. Sasuke leaving for Sound is necessary for the Third Arc. It may not make sense now, but this is an important event for later in the series. For now, you just have to live with it. Till then, the Jounin Exams continue!!**

**Preview:**

Shikamaru's Team are ready to brawl it in this chapter! Shikamaru and Ino battle first in a battle of the minds! And Sasuke takes on Chouji in a battle that shows the power of the Akimichi. Can Sasuke truly win with only one jutsu? Find out on:

Chapter 17: The Genius vs. The Blond!! The Snake vs. The Butterfly!!


	17. Battles Continue!

**Hello. My name is Sanosuke Kazeyama. I have many different skills. One of them is my ability with Earth Jutsus. The other is my skill with Rock Smash, my trusty Zweihander I inherited from Saito-sensei, and have become his only student. With this sword, I will become a Jounin, and travel with Koji across the continent.**

Chapter 17: The Genius vs. The Blond!! The Snake vs. The Butterfly!!

_(Sand Village Stadium)_

"Welcome back!! This is the concluding day of the chosen 16. The last 4 matches will be today, so sit and get ready!" Temari said, and the crowd started cheering. Tenten, Hinata, Lee, and Kiba sat in the audience. Kiba was miffed that his opponent beat him with some sort of weird Genjutsu, but he showed what he could do.

Tenten and Hinata gave it everything they had, so they were satisfied with their losses. Lee couldn't defeat Mist even if he wanted to. And so, the board lit up, the rest of the ones who didn't fight yet waited. The board lit up, and there was a groan. Ino Yamanaka vs. Shikamaru Nara.

Shikamaru walked down, with his hands in his pocket, as Ino sat in her seat. "How are you going to beat him?" Sakura asked. "She has a point. He defeated a member of the Akatsuki on his own. He is somewhere on par with Sasuke and Naruto." Chouji said.

Ino then smirked, and glanced at them both. "I learned a new trick over the 4 month break." Ino said. She jumped into the arena, and Shikamaru gave her a sort of bored look.

"Get ready Shikamaru! I won't lose to you!!" Ino screamed, pointing at him. "Hn. Give it your best shot." Shikamaru said, smirking. Begin was called, and Temari jumped out of the way. They both stood ready.

"This should be good." Naruto mumbled to himself. "They are both on the same team, right?" Sasuke asked. "That means they know how the other fights." Sakura said.

Ino charged at Shikamaru, and he merely dodged the attacks. She then managed to get past his guard, and throw a fist towards his face. Shikamaru caught her fist, and tossed her over his shoulder. She landed, and brought her hands into a seal.

"Now! Mind Disturbance Jutsu!" Ino said, launching a pulse of chakra at Shikamaru. He dodged the attack, and pulled out one of Asuma's old Trench Knives. He had a plan. He tossed the knife, making it look like he was going to miss. But instead of standing there, and taunting Shikamaru about missing, Ino jumped outside the range of the knife.

When it hit the ground, a shadow blob shot out, and held still. _(She knew about how I control the Trench Knives?)_ Shikamaru thought to himself. Ino smirked at him, as he walked over to pick the knife up.

"I don't recall you ever seeing me use the Trench Knives." Shikamaru said, pocketing the blades. "I guess it was a lucky guess." Ino said, smirking. _(Lucky guess my ass. She knew. How?)_ Shikamaru thought to himself. Ino charged again, and this time, Shikamaru jumped away, and hid in one of the trees. Ino didn't see where he went, and that was bad.

Shikamaru had his back resting on a tree. Ino wouldn't be able to spot him, and he needed time to think. He sat, and assumed his thinking pose. He stayed for about a minute, and smirked. _(Got it!)_ Shikamaru thought to himself.

He turned to get ready, but a kunai aimed towards his head nearly hit him. He jumped away at the last second. _(Now I got it!)_ Shikamaru thought to himself, as he hid away in a different tree.

_(Ino. I know how you were able to call off my attack.)_ Shikamaru thought, and wasn't surprised when Ino had a stunned look on her face. _(Your family specializes in skills that revolve around the mind. So it wouldn't be all that surprising if you could even learn to read minds. I will warn you right now Ino. Cut the jutsu.)_ Shikamaru told her with his mind, and was amused to see she gave him a 'Like hell I will' look.

_(Okay, suit yourself.)_ Shikamaru said, as he sat down. He pulled out a kunai, and began scribbling something on a tree. As it turns out, it was trigonometry, something Ino had never been forced to solve.

As Shikamaru worked the complex problems, he began voicing all the steps in his mind, along with thoughts about a long novel he had read. The constant flow of thoughts began to give Ino a bad case of migraine, and Shikamaru decided to seal the deal.

He had asked Kakashi to give him a copy of Make-out Paradise, and he learned this kind of literature set women off. (Non perverse women at least. For all I know, Anko may get off on this stuff.)

He figured Ino would learn something like this, so he came prepared just in case. Pulling out volume one, he smirked. _(Mikoto and Soren met under the night of the blooming of the cherry blossoms. "Soren, you came…" Mikoto said silently, smiling brightly. "Of course! I would never let anything stand in the way of the one I love." Soren said, as Mikoto ran into his arms. You want me to continue this Ino? This IS Icha-Icha Paradise.)_ Shikamaru communicated to Ino, and smirked when she fell to her knees, holding her head, deactivating the jutsu.

"Nice try." Shikamaru said. Ino tried to move, but found that she couldn't. "Shadow Possession." Shikamaru clarified. "Now, how about you quit before I really decide to hurt you?" Shikamaru asked, smirking quite evilly. "You wouldn't dare!" Ino screamed.

"Years of bossing me around and hitting me for being lazy. You **REALLY** want to believe I won't?" Shikamaru asked, as his shadow hand began slowly trickling up her stomach. "Okay Okay!!! I quit!!!" Ino screamed. "Good." Shikamaru said, yawning as his Shadow slunk back.

"Nice try though, Ino. Father told me that the Mind Reader Jutsu was a Yamanaka Specialty that only one in many generations can learn. I figured you would be relentless about learning it." Shikamaru said, as Temari announced him as the winner. "Wow." Koji said to himself. "That Shikamaru. He really is a genius." Chouji said to himself.

The board lit up again, and the randomizer started. _(Come on! I want to fight!!)_ Naruto screamed in his mind. _(Land on the stupid nin in orange and black. Or at least the one in white.)_ Gale thought to himself, seeing that Naruto and Sasuke looked to be real powerful.

When the board stopped, Chouji damn near choked on his chips. Sasuke Uchiha vs. Chouji Akimichi. "Ouch." Naruto said to himself. Chouji gave a scared look to Sasuke, who merely stood and walked to the arena.

Like everyone else other than Naruto and Sakura, he believed Sasuke to be something like Orochimaru incarnate. He wasn't THAT evil. Sure, he was cold, and held his emotions in a tight rein, but he wasn't heartless. Assumptions are bad.

_(Maybe I will make myself look evil, just to make this match quick.)_ Sasuke thought to himself. Now **THAT** was evil. When Chouji got into the arena, Sasuke gave a sneer so fierce, that Chouji looked like he pissed himself.

"You really wish to die? If not, then quit." Sasuke said, and for added effect, he put some murderous intent in the threat. Chouji was visibly shaking, and Sasuke smirked in his mind. _(Good.)_ Sasuke thought to himself. He was expecting Chouji to quit, but instead, he had a determine look on his face, and he stood ready.

"I'm not going to be scared off by the likes of you, Uchiha." Chouji said, getting into his stance. "Hn." Sasuke said. _(So much for that idea.)_ Sasuke thought to himself. Begin was called, as Temari jumped back.

Sasuke began walking towards Chouji, and Chouji brought his hands into his favorite seal. "It would be wise to quit. I will beat you using only one jutsu and my Sharingan." Sasuke said. Chouji glared, and got ready.

"Ninja Art: Multisize Jutsu!" Chouji said, as he inflated to look bigger. "Now, The Human Boulder!!" Chouji said, as he began spinning towards Sasuke. Sasuke jumed out of the way, and began trying to figure out how to stop this attack. Sasuke darted around, as Chouji was zipping all around the arena like a pinball. "Like Sasuke can get a victory using only his Sharingan or whatever it's called, and only one jutsu." Koji said. "I wouldn't doubt his skill." Sanosuke said.

Sasuke finally had an idea about what to do about the jutsu that Chouji was doing right now. He jumped dead into the center of the arena, and Chouji barreled at him. Sasuke stomped the ground, creating a pretty big dent. He jumped back as Chouji got near him. Chouji fell into the crater, and shot into the air from the speed of his movements.

Sauske smirked, and jumped into the air after him. He delivered a kick so powerful, Chouji flew into the wall, and was stuck. Chouji deflated, and decided to step this up a bit. He pulled out something like looked like a pez dispenser with three pills in them.

Chouji glanced at them hesitantly, and then had a determined look on his face. He popped the thing open, and ate the red pill. Sasuke wondered what eating that weird pill would do, but was stunned when Chouji's chakra began to flare a little more fiercely. Sasuke also noticed that Chouji looked just a tad bit skinnier.

Chouji roared, and charged. Sasuke actually began to have a hard time. Chouji all of a sudden was faster, and his punches were leaving dents when he hit the walls and stuff like that. Sasuke jumped away, and Chouji made another seal.

"Ninja Art: Partial Multisize Jutsu!" Chouji said, and he threw a punch. His arm got longer and his hand got bigger, and they shot at Sasuke, who wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack. Chouji thought he got him, but instead, he crushed a log.

Chouji wasn't expecting Sasuke to appear under him, and kick him into the air. Chouji flew straight up, and Sasuke cracked his neck. _(Shouldn't make statements that are a pain in the ass to keep.)_ Sasuke thought to himself. When he looked up, Chouji had another seal. "Ninja Art: Body Expansion Jutsu!!" Chouji said, and his entire body grew to about the size of a 2 story building.

_(The hell!?!?)_ Sasuke thought to himself. Chouji fell, looking like he was going to belly flop onto Sasuke. Sasuke managed to avoid what could have been certain death. The giant crater that Chouji created when he landed was very big. Sasuke sweat dropped. Chouji shrunk to his normal size, and brought his fist back to hit Sasuke dead in the face.

Sasuke hit the wall incredibly hard, and fell to the ground. He stood to his feet, a little wobbly, and activated his Sharingan. Chouji charged the Snake Apprentice, and threw a fist. Sasuke, seeing the attack coming real easily, dodged the fist and blasted Chouji into the wall opposite from him.

Sasuke caught his breath, and brought his attention up just in time to avoid a super chakra-charged fist. _(What!?)_ Sasuke thought to himself. He was about to muse on what happened, but his eyes had it all.

Chouji's chakra had shot up yet again, and he looked noticebly slimmer. Sasuke got a quick glance, and saw that he was missing another pill. _(The yellow one must have been consumed.)_ Sasuke thought to himself. Chouji was moving as fast as Naruto did three years ago. Sasuke's Sharingan could still anticipate the attacks, but one slip, and he would be in serious pain.

And so, for about a minute, Sasuke would dodge and counterattack Chouji. Chouji was on the ground, panting, and Sasuke was on his feet, sweating. _(When is he going to call it quits?)_ Sasuke asked himself. Chouji began slowly getting up, and Sasuke saw him pull out the last pill.

Chouji popped it in his mouth, and Sasuke prepared for the calm before the storm. Chouji opened his closed eyes, and chakra shot out of him. Sasuke's, along with everyone else's eyes, widened at the sheer power that Chouji was exuding. The chakra then exploded, and Chouji stood there, chakra wings in the shape of a butterfly's wings on his back. His fat/muscles turned into chakra, and Chouji looked incredibly buff.

_(HOLY SHIT!!!!)_ Was running through Koji, Naruto, and (surprisingly) Sasuke's minds. Chouji then tensed, and took off, leaving the ground upturned from where he was running. Sasuke barely dodged the attacks coming towards him, and actually panicked on the inside, though you would never know from his facial expression.

_(Oh crap! Not only is his strength surprisingly great, he is also moving fast enough to almost fool the Sharingan.)_ Sasuke was wishing he could at least use a small part of the Curse Seals power, but his ego (along with Naruto and Koji never letting him live it down) wouldn't allow it. So he did what he was forced to do on many occasions. Wing it!

"No way in hell is teme going to get out of this one." Naruto said. "True. Even our chicken haired friend can't possibly beat this guy with only one jutsu." Koji said. Truthfully, there was only one jutsu of Sasuke's that he wanted to see. It was the one that was stronger than his Lightning Piercing Claw.

Personally, that technique was something he made out of necessity to pierce Shiro's Lightning Dome. It did it's job, so he began using it as offensive and finishing moves. He also wanted to see what an A-Rank Ninjutsu looked like.

Sasuke had a plan. It was a crude one, but if it worked, he could defeat this juggernaut on one. He decided he needed to execute his plan. But first, stop eating the grass like a cow.

Yes. Sasuke was on the ground face first. Not the first time either. In fact, as Koji and Naruto were chatting, he had hit the ground 5 times.

_(Man. I feel like a cow.)_ Sasuke thought to himself annoyingly. Funny how Sasuke is a natural comedic in his mind. Sasuke jumped to his feet in time to avoid a fist, which left a giant ass crater. Sasuke jumped to his feet, and charged Chouji. Chouji was ready, but he wasn't expecting Sasuke to just disappear.

Chouij lookd around, but was surprised when Sasuke appeared under him, preparing to kick him dead in the jaw. He caught the foot, and tossed him dead into the air. Sasuke shot up straight into the air, and really panicked mentally. He was in the air, and eventually, gravity would send him back, and Chouij would be ready to-

"Wait. That's it!" Sasuke muttered to himself. He began to freefall, and smirked. He brought a hand in front of him, and his Chidori came to life. He then began spinning, as the Chidori Current ran through his entire body. He looked like a blue comet coming down to the ground.

Chouji stood ready, and they both prepared for the explosion that would be happening. Sasuke fell like a drill, and Chouji threw his fist into the air. The Chidori clashed with a chakra filled fist, and a giant explosion ensued.

When the dust cleared, Chouji was on the ground, an X across his armor, and Sasuke was standing on his feet, sweating. Everyone was silent.

_(No way did Sasuke go through with his word…)_ Koji thought to himself. _(One jutsu. That was all he said he would need. That's insane…)_ Koji mused to himself. Temari announced Sasuke as the winner, and he walked back to where Naruto and Koji were.

"You did it, Chicken Head." Koji said, smirking. _(So, that would be the power of an A-Rank Jutsu. That move would obliterate my Piercing Claw.)_ Koji thought to himself, sulking a little.

The board began to light up, and Koji looked on, half paying attention. _(I see why Sasuke would be someone to watch out for. Shiro-sama wasn't joking when he said that he would be one of the nin to beat. He also warned me about Naruto. But Sakura? I already know or have a good idea of what she can do.)_ Koji thought to himself, glancing towards Team 7.

_(The power of a student of a Legendary Sannin. That kind of power comes once in a lifetime. They are probably on a level that no normal nin could handle. I could only hope to defeat them. Koji…I wonder about his strength also. He seems to be on my level, but something about him seems unsettling. Like he would give even a Sannin a run for their money. He's one to watch also.)_ Sanosuke thought to himself.

The board finished working, and there was a loud, boisterous cheer. Naruto Uzumaki vs. Shino Aburame.

**ShadowRonin: Yeah. You saw it! Sasuke totally won with only one jutsu. He could have won in a shorter amount of time, but pride wouldn't let him. Koji and his friends are prepared to fight for Jounin-ship, but in the end, who will win? Continue, and find out!**

**Preview:**

The time for the last fights has come. Naruto and Shino take the stage, as Sakura and Gale wait for the last round. Can Naruto beat the Aburame heir, or will the stoic genius take Naruto down? And can Sakura defeat the Airmaster of Suna?

Chapter 18: Final Fights!!! The Fox vs. The Hive! The Pink Blossom vs. The Hurricane!


	18. Final Fights!

**The name I go by is Shinji. My past is a big blur, and my family or clan is not something I know of. The only thing I have from them is a dogtag chain with my name on it. Ever since I was 7, I've been trained as a Ninja by a group of missing-nin from the Mist Vilage who merely have no permission to travel abroad from the Mizukage. Oh well. I'm currently on a mission, but I wonder if I can go through with it.**

Chapter 18: Final Fights!!! The Fox vs. The Hive! The Pink Blossom vs. The Hurricane!!

Naruto ran and jumped into the arena, smirking. Shino stood, and walked to the arena. "This will be a good match." Sasuke said. "Eh? Why you say that?" Koji asked. "You know that clan Shino belongs to? They are what I would call Bug Warriors." Sasuke said. "Huh?" Koji asked. "You'll see." Sasuke said.

Temari looked to both nin, and asked if they were ready. Naruto nodded vigorously, and Shino nodded. She called begin, and jumped away. Shino stood with his hands in his pockets as Naruto barreled at him.

Naruto thought Shino would bring his hands up to block the punch he sent, but a loud popping sound verberated through the stadium, and Naruto's fist were covered with Destruction Bugs. (The gourd on his back) Naruto began to panic, and swing his fist all over the place, sending the bugs off his fist. After he finished getting rid of the bugs, he turned just in time for Shino to back hand him dead in the face.

Naruto rolled on the ground, and used to momentum to force himself back to his feet. Shino raised his hands, and bugs swarmed out of his hands. "Oh man." Naruto said to himself, as the bugs swarmed around him. He jumped into the air, but was stunned when they began following him. "Damn! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto said, as he created his clone. The clone grabbed him, and began spinning him.

Before the bugs could reach them, Naruto Clone had tossed Naruto towards Shino, who was actually a little surprised Naruto did that. Naruto smashed his fist into Shino, but was surprised when Shino turned into a bunch of bugs, and Naruto was floored. "What!? He can create clones with bugs!?" Naruto voiced outloud, as the bugs swarmed his ass. "Leaving yourself open to be overtaken isn't very smart." Shino said, walking into the open.

From where, no one knows.

He stood, and watched as the bugs left Naruto with barely enough chakra to do anything. When the bugs stopped, Naruto was on the ground, unconscious. You would think that Shino would relax, but his instincts were sending red flags that something was incredibly wrong. He jumped back in time to avoid Naruto shooting out of the ground, looking like he was going to give him an uppercut from hell. Naruto looked surprised, and Shino sighed to himself on the inside.

_(That was close, Naruto almost got me.)_ Shino thought to himself, as Naruto landed on his feet. Shino smirked behind his oversized jacket when Naruto smirked at him, and raised his hands together. He brought his pointer and thumb together, signifying that he was almost there.

_(Outside Battle)_

_(Something doesn't feel right.)_ Koji thought to himself, watching the battle out in the arena. _(An association says my life needs to be taken to ensure their future, but they have never met me. Why would they care if I live or die?)_ Koji thought to himself.

_(Hn. Probably some kind of mind game. They probably are messing with me. Like those two guys in the weird robes with red clouds. Lopping all my limbs off and keeping my head as a trophy…no one can be THAT crazy…)_ Koji tried to calm himself. Fortunately, his outer façade looked calm and composed, his inner was panicking.

_(The Battle)_

Naruto stood with the seal for Shadow Clone Jutsu as Shino called more bugs to the stage. The bugs swarmed towards Naruto, who had a Clone preparing the Rasnegan. The moment the bugs were near, Naruto thrust the sphere of doom forward, as a strong swirl of Wind Chakra shot out, blasting the bugs away. The sphere flew towards Shino, and he put up a Bug Dome to cushion the blow.

Naruto wasn't surprised when the dome shattered under the Rasengan, but was stunned when Shino was nowhere to be found. He was about to start to think of a plan, but he noticed that the bugs were moving towards him, without Shino's command.

"What!? Why are they charging me!?" Naruto asked again. "You have one of my Female Bugs planted on you. No matter where you go, she will attract the rest of the males, and they will-" Shino didn't get to finish, because a Naruto Clone popped out and hit him dead in the jaw.

"The hell!?!?" Koji said, confused. "That's Naruto for you." Koji turned around, and saw Kakashi standing behind him. "Huh?" Koji asked. "That boy possesses something that makes all those associated with him change their views of things. He is also Konoha's #1 Surprising Ninja." Kakashi said. Koji looked down, and was surprised to see Naruto in mid-air, the Rasengan in his hand. Shino looked up, and was hit dead on.

Shino and Naruto hit the ground, Shino back first, and Naruto landed on his feet. Shino wanted to move, to try and get momentum going, but his body just wouldn't move at all. The blow to his gut had cut his breathing, and he was on the ground, weezing. _(Damnit. I let my guard down for one second, and he defeats me.)_ Shino thought to himself, as Naruto looked over him, smirking. "I won't lie Shino. That was a big time fluke. The Rasengan hit you around where your lungs are. The force caused them to stop working for a while." Naruto said, smirking.

"Looks like you couldn't beat me Shino!" Naruto said, smiling. _(Figures. I drop my guard for one second, and I am flattened. Kiba is never going to let me live this down.)_ Shino thought to himself, sighing. "Ha! All it took was one shot!!" Naruto screamed, smirking. "You did get one shot in, but you didn't defeat me." Naruto turned around, grim looking, as Shino had a swarm of bugs surrounding them in a dome.

"How? You were hit." Naruto muttered. "Yes, you hit me. But all you did was make me lose my breath. I never said anything about my chakra being drained." Shino said, as he looked on amused as Naruto scowled. "You are something else, Shino." Naruto said, as he made the seal for the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

"This is a dome made of my Destruction Bugs. You won't be able to escape." Shino said. "Watch me." Naruto said, charging at Shino, who blocked his punch and threw a kick. There was one deadly drawback to Shino's Bug Encasement Jutsu.

Shino's Taijutsu is abysmal at best.

Let's face it. He never really needed it when he could summon a bug army to do his bidding. It could handle a Genin or Chuunin, but anything higher, and he was screwed.

In actuality, it made perfect sense.

All Kiba could do was Taijutsu, along with his dog. Never has he felt the need to bust out a fire jutsu, or anything like that. Hinata was the only one who was somewhat balanced out. But she mostly dabbles in Taijutsu with her Gentle Fist. But, unlike her one-trick-pony teammates, she could do some Genjutsu and a small arsenal of ninjutsu.

And so, we come back to Shino, face first on the ground, probably muttering curses. No one would know, because he was so silent.

He does the stereotypical ninja great justice.

Shino stood to his feet, as Naruto looked exhausted. Constantly hitting the dome caused him to receive more than his fair share of Destruction Bugs on his person. Result: Even Naruto's monstrous chakra was being drained. Both were on their last ropes, and needed to finish this. Naruto charged, and Shino prepared himself. Naruto brought his fist out, and rammed it into Shino's face, and he flew out of the dome. Naruto shot out as well, but was stunned when Shino made no effort to move.

Temari moved, and nudged him with her fan, but he still didn't move. Temari flipped him so he was on his back, and chuckled when Shino's glasses fell off, his eyes in the X.X look. It was at this time that you could tell he was a member of the Konoha 12. "And so, Shino is unconscious. Naruto wins." Temari said, as Naruto smirked.

And so, with Naruto's victory, that left two people who had yet to fight. The board showed the two names, and there was a smirk, along with an emotionless face. Gale Kazekiri vs. Sakura Haruno. Sakura expected some sort of smirk, but instead, he stood to his feet, and began to float using his Wind Chakra.

He landed as the wind around him kicked up, and he smirked. _(Alright little blossom. Let's see what you got.)_ Gale thought to himself. Sakura landed in the arena, making sure to leave a nice crater where she landed, causing Gale's eyebrow to rise a little.

_(Bone crushing power. Temper as short as a midget. I bet she's single.)_ Gale thought to himself amusingly. Sakura glared at his amused smirk, before she began to growl a little. "What's wrong? You're not mad are you?" Gale asked, sneering. "Of course I am! You stood, and down talked the most precious people in my life. I won't allow you to!" Sakura said, and Gale's sneer turned into an emotionless face.

"You shouldn't let your emotions judge your actions. They have no place on the battlefield." Gale said. "And you are a bastard! Worry about yourself!" Sakura said. "Temper temper. Someone like yourself will stay single for the rest of your life." Gale said.

"Yeah right." Sanosuke and Sasuke mumbled to themselves, knowing damn well of the sexual tension always floating above the pink haired blossom and the dreadlocked brawler. "You two say something?" Koji asked. "No. Nothing that no one else doesn't know." Sasuke said, smirking at Koji's confused look. "Whatever. You two are weird." Koji said.

Sakura, of course, glared pretty fiercely at the last comment, and charged before Temari could call begin. The moment Temari muttered begin, Gale had shot a blast of wind at Sakura. Sakura dodged the wind blast, and tried to punch him.

He merely side stepped, and brought his fist into Sakura's jaw. Sakura slid across the arena, and Gale brought his right hand out. "Wind Scythe Jutsu!" He swung his hand, and air blades shot out of the wind he created. Sakura jumped out of the way in time, but the wall didn't take the hit so well. In fact, a giant slash mark appeared on the wall, and everyone who saw it flinched.

_(That wasn't a normal Wind Jutsu. Is this guy really as strong as he looks?)_ Koji thought to himself. Sakura charged again. This time, Gale floated into the air, and began launching blasts of air at Sakura. "Hn! Seems like he is scared." Koji said, smirking.

Everyone cleared away from him, as an Air Bullet flew into him. He slid along the stairs, and fell down a few, before he stood to his feet, his eyes white as he glared.

"Sorry, my aim was off." Gale said, smirking. "Like hell it was!! Get over here so I can kick your ass!!!" Koji screamed, pointing at him. "Hey Gale. Please keep the audience out of your little vendetta." Temari said, amused by all of this. "Hey, ref-san! Call a time-out, and I'll give everyone a show! You'll all watch as he get to find out what it feels like to have a pair of shoes shoved up your ass!" Koji screamed.

"As appealing as a brawl would sound, I am **FIGHTING HIM NOW!!!"** Sakura screamed, and Koji sweat dropped. "Okay." Koji said a little too quickly, and sat down, as everyone sweat dropped. _(At least he knows when not to push it.)_ Sanosuke thought to himself.

With that crisis averted, Gale looked down as Sakura jumped in an attempt to knock him out of the sky. Gale shifted out of the way, and kicked her into the wall. At this point, Sakura was probably pissed. In fact, the wall she chucked at him showed she was pissed.

_(The hell!?!?)_ Koji thought to himself. She picked up a giant piece of the wall, and chucked it. Gale dodged it, and smirked. "That all you-" Gale started, before a rock popped him dead in the forehead. "Sorry! It slipped!" Koji said, and Gale had a vein on his forehead. **"SLIP THIS!!!"** Gale screamed, and shot a pulse of air so powerful, it blasted Koji out of the arena. Sanosuke sweat dropped, and Sasuke smirked. "Idiot had it coming." Sasuke said.

Gale smirked, pleased with himself. He didn't start anything this time, Koji was the antagonizer. He was about to turn his attention to Sakura, but her foot coming into contact with his face brought him back. He flew pretty far, before he managed to catch himself.

He slowly flew towards the arena, and smirked. "You've got fire little girl. But I grow bored of this little fight. I will put that little flame of yours out." Gale said, as he brought his hand out. It crated a small sphere of wind, and added some power it. Naruto and Jiraiya's eyes widened.

_(No way…)_ Naruto thought to himself. "Hm. Looks like that weird special attack you know." Koji said. (When he got back, no one knows) "No, it's different." Jiraiya said, appearing behind the two nin. "How so, Ero-Sennin?" Naruto asked. "Where as ours are close combat skills, his is a long range attack." Jiraiya said.

"Let's do this. Swirling Shot!!" Gale said, and he thrusted his hand forward. The spinning sphere blasted towards Sakura, and she managed to jump out of the way. What she wasn't expecting was for Gale to reappear next to her, wielding a weird dagger.

He swung it, and she barely dodged it, as she jumped away. She smirked at his miss, but was confused when he smirked. A small part of her shirt then got cut, and a small cut appeared on her cheek. Gale smirked. "I won't be that easy to dodge. You might as well quit." Gale said, flying towards Sakura.

"How is he doing that?" Koji asked. "He has the element of wind." Naruto said. "Eh?" Koji replied. "He has mastered the Wind Chakra. Like your Lightning Chakra, he can channel Wind Chakra. That blade he has can be imbued with chakra, and work in different ways." Jiraiya said. "Like my Chakra Staff." Koji muttered to himself.

Sakura was on her last rope. She had managed to dodge the blows, but the Wind Chakra was nicking her skin. She was running out of chakra just to patch the small cuts up, just for new ones to reappear. She fell to one knee, and Gale smirked.

"You done, Sakura? I expected more fight from you." Gale said, smirking. Sakura got to her feet, and charged again. Gale smirked, and swung again. This time, Sakura caught the blade, and punched him dead in the chest. That would have shattered ribs, if it wasn't for the fact that instead of blood shooting out his mouth, wood chips shot out from where she hit him, and it turned into a log.

Before Sakura could react, a blast of wind shot her into the wall. She fell to her face, and Gale sighed. "Give up. I don't take to fighting girls so well. Don't want to hurt you too much." Gale said. "No…" Gale looked on, as his face slowly took a look of slight shock as Sakura stood to her feet. "I won't call it just yet… I am not done yet!" Sakura said, charging.

Gale shook his head, and brought out another wind blast to launch her back into the wall. Sakura stood to her feet rather shakily, and Gale sighed and shook his head. "Why bother to fight? You obviously are not able to stand, let alone fight." Gale said.

"I'm sorry you are the weaker of the Legendary Sannin Proteges, but I can't go easy on you." Gale said. Sakura looked like she lost all color on her cheeks. Naruto and Sasuke were on their feet, while Koji looked on, confused. "Huh?" Koji asked, and then he felt it. He looked into the arena, and saw Sakura slowly getting to her feet. Gale looked on, emotionless face still plastered on his face.

"Why try to fight?" Gale asked. Sakura stood to her feet, and slammed her fist into the ground. **"I AM NOT WEAK!!!"** Sakura screamed, as her fist created a giant tremor that opened the ground. Gale merely floated a little bit off the ground, so the attack didn't shake him up, or throw him off balance.

_(Shame. She has great potntial._) Gale said, as he shot another pulse of wind, blasting Sakura into the wall again. This time, Sakura struggled to get up, but she ran out of steam, and fell to the ground. "Hn. Emotions only serve to make a person weak." Gale said. "That's not true!!" Gale looked up, and saw Naruto standing on the rail.

Gale had a slight frown on his face, as Naruto jumped into the arena. "Ah, the kid who was taught by one of the Legendary Sannin. You were the student of the Toad Sage, were you not?" Gale asked. "Yeah. That's me." Naruto said. "Hn. I don't see why you are taking offense to what I say." Gale said.

"You are calling Sakura-chan weak! She isn't weak!" Naruto screamed. "She lets her emotions get in the way during battle. Emotions have no base on the battlefield." Gale said. "That doesn't make Sakura-chan weak!" Naruto screamed. "I find your views rather naïve. A nin isn't supposed to show his emotions." Gale said.

"Well you can cram that rule up your ass! Sakura is a better person than you will ever be!" Naruto said, glaring. "You are dead wrong. She is weak because she shows her emotions too easily. She can be easily manipulated." Gale said. Naruto growled, and charged Gale. Gale smirked, as he crossed his arms. Before Naruto could punch him, and before Gale could use his Wind Chakra, they both jumped away as a Lightning Gun Jutsu blasted in between them. Koji appeared in between both of them, facing Naruto.

"Hey Blondie! Don't do anything stupid!" Koji said, a serious look on his face. "But he-" "I heard what he said. If you fight him here and now, there's a chance you could get disqualified. You want that!?" Koji screamed. Naruto lowered his gaze to the ground.

"Besides, there's a line waiting to crack this guys head open." Koji said, turning to Gale. "I want a piece of him." Koji said, walking towards Sakura. "Though I agree that people's emotions can be used against them, showing them doesn't make them weak. It shows that they aren't robots. That rule needs to be edited." Koji said, as the Medic Nins came to get Sakura.

"Now, I believe that this match is over." Koji said, as Temari stepped in between them. "The fights are over now! Both of you please head to the stands!" Temari said, flashing her fan in between them. Gale glared at her, and Koji merely nodded. "I understand." Koji said, as he guided Naruto to the stands.

"You should hope that you have to face Naruto or Sasuke. Because you will regret facing me." Koji said, as they both smirked at each other.

**ShadowRonin: Yeah. The beginning rounds are over, and everyone is ready for the next set of fights to begin! Rivalries are born, and the only thing on the line is the chance to become a Jounin. Wait it out, and see who makes it!**

**Preview:**

Everyone is taking a day off to prep for the next round, but it can't always be that easy. Association taking on the Shadow Nin, training for the Jounin Exams, and Koji getting into another adventure. This time, he's dragging Neji in, or is Neji inviting trouble? Find out on:

Chapter 19: Koji's Big Adventure w/ Neji!! Shadow Blades vs. The Association!!


	19. Koji and Neji

**Hello my loyal readers!!! The tales series continues, as Koji and friends go through the exams, waiting for the next fights!! For now, they rest and wait. So, let the free day commence!!**

**PS: I have fixed my other two stories, and I am able to update them now. So, if you like this story, you may like the other two, but personally, I feel this is my best work for the moment.**

Chapter 19: Koji's Big Adventure w/ Neji!! Shadow Blades vs. The Association!!

Koji woke up early the next day. He was summoned by Shiro to the inn that the Shadow Blades were residing in. The only reason he was actually awake was because had stoppd and gotten a few giant Pixie Sticks on the way. "This is the inn." Koji said, standing in front of it. He walked in, and began to search for the room the Shadow Blades were meeting in.

_(Shiro's Room)_

"I am glad to see that you all arrived at so early in the morning." Shiro said. Zaku and Dosu were sitting next to each other, while Kin was resting her head on Koji's shoulder.

Kidomaru was yawning, while his bottom two arms were scratching his stomach. Sakon was having a conversation with Ukon, while Tayuya and Jirobo were arguing again. "Okay. You all know that we are here to gauge Koji's skills and determine if he is worthy enough to be a member of the Shadow Blades." Shiro said, and they all nodded.

"But that is merely a mission. Our true goal is to prevent the Akatsuki from doing anything." Shiro said. "Akatsuki? Why would they be here? They already got Shukaku." Jirobo said. "They could be after Orochimaru. The guy did betray them and get away with it." Kidomaru said.

"If it were only that, I wouldn't be worried." Shiro said. "Are they here for Naruto?" Kimimaro asked. Everyone's eyes widened. "Why him?" Koji asked. "That boy. He possesses something that the Akatsuki wants. Ever heard of the Nine-Tailed Beasts?" Shiro asked.

"Of course! What person hasn't!?" Tayuya asked. Koji slowly raised his hand, and shrugged. "Well, they were demons who wielded powers beyond the control of any human alive. The strongest of them all was the Nine-Tailed Fox, Kyuubi. The only reason he was stopped was because the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village sealed it in a child." Shiro said.

Everbody let thaty information sink in, before Koji's and Tayuya's eyes widened. "You don't mean.." Koji started. "That Orange kid is the one?" Tayuya asked. "Huh?" Zaku asked. "Yes. He holds Kuyuubi inside of him." Shiro said, and everyone's eyes widened.

"No way. Naruto is a…demon holder?" Koji asked. "He is. The demon doesn't see to be able to possess him, but he probably can draw it's power." Shiro said. "So, our side objective…" Sakon asked impatiently. "Is to prevent that." Shiro said. Everyone nodded, and disappeared from the room. "Was it wise to let Koji know of Kyuubi?" Nekobe asked. "I believe he will do what is right." Shiro said.

_(Outside the Hotel Shiro was in)_

"Some meeting eh?" Kidomaru asked. He had followed Kimimaro and Sakon out of the hotel. "Why are you here, loser?" Sakon asked. "Does it matter to you?" Kidomaru asked.

"Don't want some loser following us around." Sakon replied. "You annoy us, Kidomaru! Why don't you leave before we kill you?" Ukon said, popping up from Sakon's neck. "Like you would." Kidomaru replied, smirking. Sakon was about to retort, before Kimimaro thrust his hand up.

"Quiet. Can you feel it?" Kimimaro asked. Both nin stopped their squabble to feel around using their chakra, and felt like something powerful was around. "We feel it." Sakon said. "Let's check it out! I bet it's something fun!" Kidomaru said. "Maybe something that will give us a challenge." Sakon said, as the three nin disappeared.

_(Elsewhere in the Village)_

Koji yawned in annoyance. It was only 7:00 in the morning, and it was way too early for anyone normal to be awake. But the sound of wind picking up caught his ear. He walked to the area, and found Temari there, practicing her Wind Jutsus.

(She uses Wind Style Jutsus a lot. I got an idea.) Koji thought to himself. "Hey! Referee-chan!" Koji said, and Temari turned to him. "Oh. It's you." Temari said. "You say it as though you know me." Koji said. "You are pretty well known." Temari said. "That's beside the point. Can we spar?" Koji asked. "Huh? Why me?" Temari asked.

"You know those Wind Jutsus, like that windbag." Koji said. "You mean Gale? You prepping yourself to fight him?" Temari asked. "Yeah. In my eye, he is the one I need to beat if I want to win." Koji said. (He must think he can take Naruto and Sasuke.) Temari thought to herself. "Sure. I can help you." Temari said, unfolding her fan.

"Great! Don't hold back!!" Koji said, using a dark blue bandana to tie his hair back.

_(Heading out the Village)_

"Hey, Blade! Why must you insist on being so annoying?" Sidestep asked. The three Association Nin kept their hoods up to prevent sand from getting in their eyes. "Why do you insist on being so damn stupid?" Blade asked, smirking (though no one would know) as Sidestep growled.

"Enough." T.K said, and both nin sighed. "Yes, oh fearless leader." Blade said sarcastically. "Smart-ass." T.K said. "Woah!! It talks AND makes jokes!" Blade said. By now they were about a mile from the Sand Villages Gates, when they all stopped. "We know you are following us. Come out!" Blade said. The three Association Nin stood next to each other as Kimimaro, Kidomaru, and Sakon appeared in the blink of an eye, in front of them.

"Hn." T.K said. "Well lookie here! A Spider." Sidestep said. "And lookie here. A bunch of people so ugly that they hide themselves behind hoods." Kidomaru said, smirking. He didn't expect the three nin to look like they were looking at each other, before they all lowered their hoods.

T.K's orange spiky hair defied gravity like always. His black eyes looking bored and indifferent.

Blade's hair was dark blue, and came down to his shoulders. He had a Popsicle stick in his mouth. His Dark Blue eyes held amusement.

Sidestep was about to toss his entire robe off, before Blade grabbed his arm. "You remember what Xin-sama said. Next time you take your robe off and show that god-awful pimp suit, he would kill us." Blade said.

"That's not nice." Sidestep said, as he merely lowered his hood, stunning the Shadow Blade nin. "It's the return of the Afro from hell!!" Blade said, smirking. "Fuck you!" Sidestep said, his brown eyes piercing Blade's, who smirked back . "Sorry, Gay-Bo. I don't roll that way." Blade said, and Sidestep glared quite fiercely.

"Are these three freaks really the one's emitting that enormous chakra?" Kidomaru asked. "Don't let their stupidity fool you. They are really dangerous." Kimimaro said. "Seems like their leader is pretty smart." Blade said. "Stronger than the other two." T.K said.

"He's mine." T.K finished. "He wants a piece of you, Kimimaro." Sakon said. "I'll take the Sadist looking one. The two idiots can fight." Blade said. "I'm not an idiot!!" Sidestep and Kidomaru screamed at the same time, before they all smirked at each other.

At the same time, Kimimaro and T.K disappeared somewhere, along with Sakon and Blade disappearing somewhere.

_(In the Village)_

Koji was now awake for sure. He had left from training with Temari at around 9:00. He thought he felt six nin moving quickly, but dismissed it. He walked around the village, until he saw Hinata, along with Sakura, walking around. He was about to go talk to them, but he felt another presence. He felt the chakra, and smirked.

"Hey, Brother White Eyes!! Why you hiding?" Koji said outloud. "My name is Neji." Neji said, appearing from the shadows. "Hey! That was neat! I only sensed you because your chakra spiked slightly." Koji said. "Hn. What do you want?" Neji asked.

"You were tailing Hinata and Sakura. Why?" Koji asked. "Besids the fact that it is my duty to protect her, I would feel better if I knew what she was doing." Neji said. "So you don't trust her?" Koji asked. "I don't trust those around her that aren't part of the Konoha 12." Neji said.

"You obviously aren't going to stop tailing her. I think I will join you." Koji said. "What? Why?" Neji asked. "A friend always helps a friend in need." Koji said. Neji nodded reluctantly, and they both took off into the trees.

_(Battle: Kido vs. Side)_

Kidomaru and Sidestep smirked at each other. "So, I get stuck with someone who can't let disco die, eh?" Kidomaru asked. "And I get stuck with a Spiderman reject." Sidestep retorted.

"Okay funny guy. Why are you three here?" Kidomaru asked. "We merely wish to kill Koji Hyosuke." Sidestep said. "Why?" Kidomaru asked. "If you must know, Prophecy stated that the Association would fall when someone who could travel between worlds appeared." Sidestep said.

"You mean Koji has that power?" Kidomaru asked. "He is here from another world. He may not know how, but he might be the one." Sidestep said. "Sorry, but Koji is under the protection of the Shadow Blades. If you want him, you come through us!" Kidomaru said, as he activated his Curse Mark, enveloping him in Dark Chakra. The marks that covered his body began to appear, before Sidestep smirked. "I say we let the music play!!" Sidstep said, as he worked his Ninja Magic and caused the beat to play.

_(In the Village)_

Koji and Neji watched from afar as Hinata and Sakura ran into Ino and Tenten. The four kunoichi smiled to each other, before they all took off. Neji and Koji looked on to where they were going, and sighed in irritation. The girls had just walked into a mall.

(This is going to suck…) Both nin thought to themselves. Koji and Neji gave each other a pained look, before they followed the girls in. "You know, you're pretty good at this Neji." Koji said. "I try." Neji said. "Are you in any way a pervert?" Koji asked out of the blue, causing Neji to trip.

"No!! Why would you ask something as stupid as that!?" Neji asked. "You know. Good at hiding, eyes that can see through anything. Most perverts would kill to have that. I'm surprised Ero-Jii-san hasn't sought you out yet." Koji said. "Who's Ero-Jii-san?" Neji asked.

"Jiraiya." Neji then knew what he was talking about. Jiraiya is, after all, a Legendary Pervert, and a powerful nin. "Don't let the Super Perv corrupt you!" Koji said. "I won't…" Neji said.

_(Battle: Sakon vs. Blade)_

Sakon was already covered with the Curse Mark when Blade decided that knowing the reason they attack Koji was no longer important. He pulled the Popsicle stick out of his mouth, and held on to it.

Sakon charged, and tried to punch him. Blade merely sidestepped, and thrusted the Popsicle stick. Sakon was about to make a crack at the fact that he was using a Popsicle stick, but stopped that thought when he felt enormous chakra charging at him.

He slid out of the way, confused. "What the hell?" Ukon screamed, shooting out of Sakon's neck. "I didn't see the attack at all." Sakon said. "Of course you did. You just didn't see the catalyst for the attack." Blade said. "The catalyst?" Sakon asked.

"You would like to see, wouldn't you?" Blade asked. Ukon growled in anger, as he activated his Second Level Curse Mark. "Come on brother! Let's kill him off now!!" Ukon screamed.

_(Sand Mall)_

Neji and Koji decided that tailing the girls successfully warranted some food. They stopped to get some food. Koji got a cup of Ramen, while Neji settled for a Rice Ball.

"Operation Tail the Kunoichi seems to be working out quite well, Neji-taichou!" Koji said, saluting. "You are an idiot, you know?" Neji asked. "And you are a no-nonsense boob. What's the big deal?" Koji asked. "You're infuriating." Neji said, shaking his head. "Thank you!" Koji replied, smirking.

_(Battle: Kimi vs. Blade)_

Kimimaro and T.K were zipping all over the place, as bone weapons and fists clashed. Kimimaro was already in Curse Seal: Level 2 and was actually having a tough time against this foe.

(This man isn't some typical Rogue Nin. He has skills to be considered an S-Rank Criminal.) Kimimaro thought to himself. "Dance of the Falling Forest!!" Kimimaro said, as he jumped into the air, and began spinning. His rotation caused bones to shoot out of his body. T.K dodged the attack by zipping around, and jumping up and kicking Kimimaro dead in the gut. He hit the ground hard, and flipped away. Kimimaro then stood, as he began charging his chakra.

(He has more gas?) T.K thought to himself. Kimimaro began exuding black chakra, as he was surrounded by a dome of black chakra. When the dome broke, he was in Curse Seal Level 3.

His clothes had changed into an outfit similar to Ichigo's Bankai outft from Bleach. He pulled out a black bone katana, and stood in an offensive stance. "Incredible power." T.K said, and then he smirked, thrusting his hand forward. "Won't hold back."

_(In the Village)_

"Well, I must say. This is incredibly boring." Koji said. Neji nodded in agreement. The girls had left the mall, and were merely touring the town. It was nearing 6:00 pm.

"Mission just got interesting." Neji said. They saw Temari walk to the girls, and invite them to what looked like a bar. Both nin sweat dropped. Temari may be old enough for a drink, but the others were a few years short. Both gave each other stern looks, before the disappeared into the bar.

Koji and Neji grabbed a nearby booth, and sat there. "Okay, any reason they would be in a bar?" Koji asked. "Hn." Neji replied. "I assume you have no idea either." Koji said. Neji nodded, and they both sighed.

Well, so far, the girls haven't been drinking anything alcoholic. Temari looked like she had a small amount, but she was merely tasting them. Sadly, the drunkards were too…drunk to know better than to hit on a bunch of 15/16 year olds who, ironically, looked incredibly developed for 15/16 year olds.

Neji and Koji began to think. How do you get rid of a bunch of drunkards? Koji then looked like he had an idea, and smirked evilly. "What are you planning?" Neji asked. "Follow my lead." Koji said, using a Transformation Jutsu.

Sakura, Hinata, and Ino shouldn't have been too surprised to be hit on, but they thought this was absurd. These men were around 30 years old, and they were hitting on 15/16 year olds. "Hey, a cup of juice for me?" The girls turned, and saw a young man, who looked to be 19.

He got his juice (apple, oddly enough, which caused some of the regulars to sweatdrop, not knowing this place sold apple juice. One regular would whine out 'I want apple juice.'), and nodded to them. "Good day, eh ladies?" He asked.

They all took a look at this interesting boy. He had long silver hair, and dark blue eyes. The boy raised an eyebrow when the men began flaunting around the girls again. "Hey mates! All of you are aware the lasses are only 15?" He asked. They all gave him some sort of weird look.

"You running up on our territory?" They all asked, as he sweat dropped. "Is that a fight you be asking for?" He asked. They all surrounded him, and he glanced towards the girls. "Ladies, I be asking you to kindly step out and enjoy your night out at another place." The boy said, as he stood in the center of what was about to be one hell of a bar brawl.

Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Tenten and Temari walked out when they spotted Neji walking towards them. "Hinata-sama. Where have you been?" Neji asked. "Nii-san! I was hanging out with my friends." Hinata said. Neji held his look, before he sighed.

"Come on Hinata. It's about time to head back to the rooms." Neji said, as a man flew through the windows of the bar. "Let's go."Neji said, as they walked away. Through the broken window, Sakura saw that young man go into a stance that was incredibly familiar.

_(Elsewhere, a few minutes later)_

"Hey Koji, where did you get a black eye from?" Sanosuke asked. "I had a small workout earlier. Got a lucky hit on me." Koji said, smirking. "That shiner says it was quite a hit." Sanosuke said, smirking. "Whatever. I'm going to the hospital to get an ice pack." Koji said.

When they got there, they were surprised to see the rest of the Shadow Blades standing outside a room. Koji looked at what they were looking at, and his eyes widened and his face became a little pale. (Due to slightly tanned skin, no one knew)

Kimimaro, Kidomaru, and Sakon were in there, as Medic Nin were working on the three. From what he saw, Kimimaro had four slash marks across his chest. Kidomaru had what looked like a large ass bruise on his chest, and a few ribs looked broken. Sakon had cuts that looked like a Katana went crazy on him, and some stab wounds that seemed to be caused by a Rapier. Shiro handed Koji a letter.

"What's this?" Koji asked. "A message." Shiro said, and Koji's eyes widened. He ripped the letter open, and read it. He didn't look like the letter affected him, and he put it away. "I'm calling it a night." Koji said, walking out the hospital, grabbing an ice pack.

_(Outside)_

As Koji was walking, he was clenching his right hand. That note was made specifically by them. He knew it. It was a threat that was very real. "Hey Koji." Koji looked up, and saw Neji walking towards him. "You get the girls home okay?" Koji asked. "Yeah." Neji said. Koji nodded, and began to walk past Neji.

"Is something bothering you?" Neji asked. Koji stopped, and froze. Clenching his fist again, he turned around, with a fake smile. "I'm good." Koji said. "Why lie?" Neji asked, and Koji's eyes narrowed a little. "What?" Koji asked. "Your right fist clenching and unclenching signifies that you are frustrated." Neji said. Koji knew he was reading him like a book, so he sighed.

"Neji, you are someone I trust. Can I ask you not to betray that trust until the time is right?" Koji asked. Neji nodded slowly, and Koji opened his letter, and read it:

_Dear Koji:_

_We hope you are enjoying what life you have left. Once we decide we've had enough, you will die. It is written by Prophecy that you will be the one that may have the power to stop the Association, but to us, that's a load of shit! Hope you met the three that were in the hospital. Consider it a warning._

_Signed: Blade, Sidestep, and T.K_

Koji sighed as Neji had his eyes closed. "You plan on telling anyone?" Neji asked. "No. This is my issue. I don't want to involve people." Koji said. "Valiant, but foolish." Koji glared at Neji. "Should you ever be in Konoha, I will involve myself." Neji said.

"I don't need your help!!" Koji screamed. "I didn't say you did. I merely wish to help." Neji said. "Why?" Koji asked. "Isn't that what friends do?" Neji asked, and Koji sighed. "Friends, eh?" Koji said, before he smirked. "I guess I have no choice but to hold you to that." Koji said, and Neji smirked at him.

"Of course. I am a Jounin after all. I can handle more than you can." Neji said, and Koji's eyes became dotted. "You saying you're stronger?" Koji asked. Neji's smirk grew. "Of course I am." Neji said, and Koji smirked. "Well I guess that once everything is over, I will have to show you the error of your ways!" Koji said, thrusting his right hand in front of his face. Neji smirked.

"We'll find out one day, won't we?" Neji said, and they both chuckled a little.

_(Outside the Village)_

"That was no fun!" Blade said. "We should have killed them!!" "Unnecesary." T.K said. "If we had killed them, then we would have made another unnecessary enemy. We want to be able to take over the world, not have everyone on it united to stop us." Sidestep said.

Blade sighed in irritation. "What's the next agenda?" Blade asked. "Soon. All will be revealed." T.K said. "Woah! Four words!!" Blade said, and the other two Association Nin had veins of annoyance on their heads.

_(The Village Arena)_

The next day came, and this time, the referee for the fights were none other than Kankuro. "Alright. I will be proctoring the fights for this particular round." Kanuro said. "So now, let's begin with the first fight!" The board lit up, and began reeling.

When it stopped, there were a couple of gasps, and some murmurs.

But notably there were also two smirks.

(Finally. I get my shot at you.) Both nin thought to themselves. They entered the arena, and stood across from each other. Koji Hyosuke and Gale Kazekiri would finally get the match they both wanted.

**ShadowRonin: Yep. Association 15 has made their move, and announced their motives. Will Koji be able to fend off this threat, or will they finally end his life. And who will win the Exams? Stay tuned to find out!**

**Next Chapter: Koji and Gale step up, and take each other on in one of the most anticipated battles of the Jounin Exams. Both are powerful, and have an element at their command. Who will win? The Lightning Warrior, or the Desert Storm? Find out on:**

**Chapter 20: The Hurricane vs. The Storm!! Piercing Claw Fails!?**


	20. Hurricane vs Storm

**Now I bring you the most looked for fight besides Naruto facing Sasuke. Koji and Gale have been waiting to get at each other's throats since the Jounin Exams began. Now, we see them battle!!**

Chapter 20: The Hurricane vs. The Storm!! Piercing Claw Fails!?!?

Koji tied his hair back with a dark blue bandana, as Gale smirked. Both stood across from each other as a small breeze blew thru the arena. Their hair danced in the breeze.

"You know, I've been waiting to kick your ass." Koji said. "Funny. Though not in your context, I've been itching to battle you as well." Gale said. "Then it's agreed. We see each other as threats." Koji said, as he eased into his Tiger Fist Stance. "You can say that." Gale said, as he let his right arm fall to the side.

Kankuro nodded, called begin, and both nin jumped the gun. "Wind Scythe Jutsu!!" "Lightning Gun Jutsu!!" Kankuro was barely able to get out of the way to avoid the two attacks that created a giant dust storm.

"Amazing." Kakashi said. "What is?" Naruto asked. "That attack. He used no seals for it." Kakashi said. Sasuke noticed as well. "He's getting stronger." Sasuke said. Shiro also noted that he didn't use any seals.\

"Hey, Shiro-sama. Doesn't Koji's Lightning Gun Jutsu usually take some hand seals on his part to get the chakra needed?" Nekobe asked. "He is improving. He has mastered his favorite Jutsu to the point where he can launch it at will." Shiro said.

When the dust cleared, Koji was in the Tiger Fist Stance, while Gale was standing across from him, his arms crossed against his chest.

"Go!!!" Both screamed at the same time, as Koji shot off like a rocket. Gale shot some Air Missiles, as Koji zoomed around. When Koji was in striking range, he disappeared. Gale's eyes widened.

Koji was right in front of him, but he just vanished. He looked around, but couldn't find Koji. He looked up just in time for the bottom of Koji's sneakers to ram right into his face. Gale flew back, but used his Wind Chakra to shoot up into the air.

_(Shit! He's going airborne.)_ Koji thought to himself, as Gale flew through the sky. Koji began launcing Lightning Guns at Gale, who merely dodged them. He then sharply flew towards Koji, as Koji got into a defensive stance. Gale spun in the air, and Koji blocked an axe kick. Then Gale picked up the pace by throwing more punches and kicks in rapid succession.

Koji managed to block all of them, and jumped back when Gale spun and swung that dagger of his. Koji knew of the Wind Chakra tha could be used to extend the blade without anyone knowing. Koji smirked. "You aren't the only one who can wield weapons of Elemental Destruction." Koji said, pulling out a metal stick that was about 2 feet long.

"Now, let's rock!!!" Koji said, pumping chakra into his weapon, which shot electric rods out of each side making the weapon 8 feet long. Koji began spinning it around his head, and behind himself, before launching at Gale.

"This is pretty good. Both of them are dead even in strength." Sanosuke said, watching as Koji's Lightning Staff clashed with Gale's Wind Dagger. "It is true. That boy is an interesting piece of work." Kakashi said. "He is a warrior at heart." Shiro said. "He will become quite the nin." Nekobe said.

Koji and Gale were zipping around the arena, as their weapons clashed vicously. They ran at each other, and hit their weapons fiercely, causing both weapons to fly into the air. They flew into the audience, and Koji recovered quicker.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Koji created 3 Clones of himself, as Gale charged at him, with a Swirling Sphere ready. "Ultimate Hyosuke Secret Taijutsu!!" Koji said, holding his seal. Gale was two steps away, before Koji smirked. "Transform!!"

The two Koji's disappeared into the dust the transformation jutsu created. Gale swung, and created a wind blade with his swipe. The dust cleared, and both clones were gone. "Huh?" Gale asked. "Super Nutcracker of Death!!" Koji screamed, as he appeared behind Gale, his leg brought back. Gale didn't stand a chance. Koji brought his foot up, and nailed him dead in the crotch.

Everyone who saw that winced in pain. Most of the male shinobi/lords brought their hands down to their crotches, feeling the pain. The kunoichi/ladys all sweat dropped.

"Figures. He would show that he is powerful and a dumbass at the same time." Sanosuke said. "That was….effective…." Kakashi said. "Leave to him to go for a low blow." Shiro said, shaking his head.

"**THAT** is for pissing Sakura off. Now come on and get up. I didn't kick you _that _hard." Koji said, smrking. "Did I?" Koji's smirk turned doubtful when Gale was still on the ground, writhing in pain. "You okay?" Koji asked, sweating. "You still able to bear children?" Everyone sweat dropped at that question.

"Does this mean I-" Koji was then blasted into the wall. "You are something else, Hyosuke." Gale said, slowly getting up. "Low blows? I understand a ninja must do whatever it takes to win, but that's a tad extreme." Gale said, as Koji picked himself up. "Just making sure you don't get the chance to create ass-holic babies." Koji said, dusting himself off and fixing his bandana.

"You think you can continue? I owe you a few more lumps." Koji said. "I'm good. I owe you for hitting below the belt." Gale said, as they eased into their stances yet again. "Ready?" Koji asked. "Set." Gale said. "GO!!!" They both screamed, as Koji took off, and Gale flew towards him. Once they were in range, they began throwing punches and kicks in rapid succession.

"They both still have the energy to do this?" Naruto asked. "Amazing." Sanosuke said. "Wow. They both are really good." Sakura said. "Hm. He definitely has gotten stronger since the last time we saw him." Dosu said, as he, Kin, and Zaku watched from atop the arena. "You weren't kidding. He really is something." Zaku said.

"You agree since him and his friend kicked your butts a couple of days ago." Kin said. "Shut up!" Zaku screamed, as Kin smirked at him. "You know, it would be better to watch from down there instead of up here." The three nin turned, and saw Sanosuke there, sitting like he was there all along.

_(How!? We never noticed him zip up here.)_ Zaku thought to himself. "You three must be pretty crappy ninjas. I was up here for almost three seconds before you noticed me. That's three lives down the drain." Sanosuke said. "Shut up." Zaku said.

"And if I were a sick pervert/rapist, the girl here would have been at my mercy." Sanosuke said, smirking at Kin, who blushed. "Now now. What would Koji say?" Dosu said, smirking under his bandages. "He would say not to mess with his 'little sister,' but I would say 'tough, because by the end of the day, she'll be asking to be mine.'" Sanosuke said, smirking in Kin's direction, before poofing away.

"That sounded like a challenge to me." Zaku said. Kin ignored him though, trying really hard to get rid of the blush tha had formed on her face. _(Seems like Kin has someone out to call her his own.)_ Dosu thought to himself, smirking.

Koji managed to find an opening, and punched Gale in the stomach, and added some electric oomph to it. Result: Gale was blasted through the wall. Koji waited for what he thought would be a grand re-entrance. "Hey Dead Last. Come catch me if you can!!" Koji's eyes turned white.

"You bastard! Get your cowardly ass back here!! I'm not done kicking you ass!!!" Koji screamed, as he ran through the hole in the wall.

"I knew it would come to this at some point." Shiro said, as he jumped into the arena, and began making the seals for the Summoning Jutsu. He slammed his hand into the ground, and a giant screem T.V, taking up most of the arena, appeared from the ground. He then summoned three small grey orbs, and they all hovered over him.

"Follow the Desert Warrior and my Idiot Apprentice." He commanded, and the orbs took off. Once the orbs caught up, a picture of Koji giving chase to Gale appeared on the screen.

"You pussy!! Get your ass back here!!" Koji screamed, and the people in the audience sweat dropped.

_(1 mile outside the village)_

"I'm relieved you followed me Hyosuke. I didn't want to put innocents in danger from my stronger attacks." Gale said. "Agreed. People caught in the cross-fire wouldn't be good." Koji said, bandaging the top of his shoes to prevent sand from getting in them.

"You ready?" Gale asked, as a tornado formed on his right arm. "Bring it!! Piercing Lightning Claw!!" Koji screamed, jumping at the airborn nin. Gale smirked, and his Tornado Arm clashed with the Lightning Claw. Instead of his arm flying back, like Koji thought, his arm didn't even budge. Instead, the force blasted him back into the sand.

_(What!?!? My Lightning Claw didn't faze him at all?)_ Koji thought to himself, as a Tornado mixed with sand sent him flying into the sky. He landed on his back, and slid, his button shirt fell off as he was in the sky. "He isn't playing around anymore." Koji said to himself. "I say we have ourselves a sandstorm." Gale said, as he began to whip up some powerful winds, causing sand to fly everywhere.

Koji brought his hands up to prevent sand from getting in his eyes, but he couldn't prevent the punch that ran into his jaw. He recoiled, and landed on the ground with a thud. "Give up. With this desert storm, you can't possibly win." Gale said. He then used his Wind Jutsu to create a tsunami of sand, which caused Koji to sweatdrop.

He raised his hands up, as the tsunami ran dead into him. When all was done, he was buried in sand. "Fool. I tried to give you a chance to live, but you decided to be buried alive." Gale said, as he began walking away. He felt a serious spike of chakra, but ignored it. He couldn't ignore it when the dunes exploded, and Koji shot out.

Gale was stunned. Koji was standing in front of him, ready for another round. In the time of launching out of the dunes, he managed to slip his button shirt back on. His bandana was blasted off by the force of the electric chakra he released.

His hair came across his eyes, and there were golden streaks along them. His eyes, which were light brown, were now golden in the middle. "What the hell?" Gale muttered to himself. "I'm not done yet." Koji said. They both still had quite a bit of gas, and they both got into stances again. "**GO!!!**" They both screamed at the same time, and flashed towards each other.

_(In the Arena)_

By this point, the audience was awed silent. _(He was holding back when we battled?)_ Hinata thought to herself. _(No way. He still has this much fight?)_ Kiba thought to himself. "So, this is what Koji really has, eh? I'm not surprised." Sasuke said. "He has powerful people after him." Sakura said in response to Sasuke's musings.

On top of the arena, where no one could see them, three nin smirked. "He really is improving." Blade said. "Worthy." T.K said. "He's truly a threat now. At this power, he could take either me or Sidestep, even if we used our Beast Spirits and our Soul Weapons." Blade said.

As they were talking, Xin appeared next to them. "It's almost time. With this last plan, I will leave taking the continent over to you three. Sand will never be the same, and I will gauge Koji's power.

" Xin said. "When will we attack?" Blade asked. "Before the final round begins. Synchronize your watches gentlemen. A world is about to be taken over." Xin said, smirking evilly. "Watches? We aren't wearing watches!" Sidestep mentioned, and the other three sweat dropped.

_(The desrert)_

Koji and Gale were zipping all through the desert, as green and yellow flashes of light clashed intensely, creating sparks. They then flew up into the air, and began clashing even more fiercely. After a few more clashes, Koji flew to the ground, as Gale began trailing him.

"Now it's time!! Mass Shadow Clone Jutsu!!" Koji said, and Gale stood surprised as hundreds and hundreds of clones of Koji surrounded him. "Come on!! Try and take us all on!!" One of the Koji's screamed. "Fine." Gale said, bringing his hands outward.

The Koji's charged, as Gale spun, creating a Sand Tornado. That took out a few clones, but the rest charged. Gale blocked the closest one, and shot an Air Bullet, which hit another 10 clones. He then back flipped, swinging his hand for the Wind Scythe Jutsu, and took out some more clones. He landed, and began sealing at an amazingly fast rate.

"Wind Style: Great Hurricane Jutsu!!" Gale said, as he threw a punch, which created a powerful chakra filled hurricane. As that was happening, he began sealing again, this time making more seals than last time. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!!" Gale said, as he breathed a giant blaze of fire. The combined power of the Fireball Jutsu mixing with the hurricane created a deadly wall of fire, which overtook the whole surrounding area.

When the blaze finally cleared, Gale was standing atop a small area of glass, panting.

(That was a dent in my chakra reserves…) Gale thought to himself. He then brought his hand back and swung, as his Wind Scythe collided with another Lightning Gun, causing an explosion to launch him back. He landed on his feet, about a football field away from Koji. Both were panting, and on their last legs. Both their hair danced as the wind picked up.

Koji then smirked. "I don't know about you, but this is the most fun I've had." Koji said, panting in between words. Gale smirked as well. "I'm inclined to agree with you." Gale said, panting as well. Both of them then stood tall, catching their breaths.

"This is the end of my chakra reserves. Enough for one more push." Koji said, as he brought his right hand out. "Last attack. Winner is the one who is still standing." Gale said, as he formed his Tornado Arm. He looked, and saw Koji forming his Lightning Claw. "That attack won't work." Gale said. "I know. But this one** WILL!!!!**" Koji screamed, as the electric chakra on his hand burst powerfully, forming what looked like a wolf's head.

Gale smirked, and took a step forward, as Koji crouched. At the same time, as though on a practiced command, Koji shot forward, running as fast as he could, while Gale flew towards him. Koji's electric fist howled powerfully, and Gale's tornado compressed towards his hand.

"Lightning Wolf Claw!!!!" "Tornado Thrust!!!!" Both attacks hit dead on each other.

The force of the two attacks caused a tornado to form around them, which shot electricity out in frenzied blasts. Both nin screamed their war cries, as they pressed harder, causing the tornado to blast more wind, and electricity to zap the skies.

This power struggle lasted for a few more seconds, before the tornado burst into an electric storm of death, and created a giant explosion, shooting Koji and Gale away. Koji rolled on the ground, and landed facing upwards, and Gale landed on his back.

Koji's necklace was tangled in his hair, while Gale's Headband, originally tied on a piece of his clothes, was gone. Both were sweating, tired, panting, and out of chakra. Then, both of them began to chuckle. "I can't move my body at all." Gale said. "I can stand, but I can't say it will be long. Just enough to be declared winner." Koji said, rising to his feet very slowly. "Hn. Bastard. That was supposed to defeat you." Gale said.

"Not enough, wind bag. I won't be sto-" Koji started, before his whole body froze. _(Ng. Not now. I used too much of my electric chakra…)_ Koji thought to himself. His body stood rigid, and he realized he had paralyzed his muscles from overuse of electric chakra. _(Not again…)_ Koji thought to himself, as he fell face first into the ground. "Ha. You over used your chakra." Gale said, as he sighed.

"So did I, though. I can't say I'm mad that you won though. You gave me one hell of a fight. I did my best though." Gale said. "And that's what's all that matters." Gale turned his head, a little, and saw Garra walking towards them. "When did you get here, Kazekage-sama?" Gale asked.

"Around the time Koji passed out from chakra exhaustion." Gaara said, as he created two Sand Sleds. He picked Gale up and placed him on one, while his sand placed Koji on the other. "You fought honorably. It was a very close fight." Gaara said, as he handed Gale his headband. "Hn. I guess it's true there's always someone stronger than you in the world." Gale said, sighing.

"That's a little hard to swallow though. I was voted one to defeat from Suna. And here I am, defeated by someone who doesn't have any attachments to a village." Gale said, closing his eyes. "He isn't some run of the mill wanderer. He has been trained by one of the Cloud villages finest, all for the sake of standing a chance against a force that wishes to kill him." Gaara said. "Hn." Gale replied.

_(The arena)_

When Gaara returned, Medic Nins came to take Koji and Gale away. Everyone was cheering loudly for the fight that just ended. Both nin were incredible, and fought real hard to win. "He's become one to beat." Sasuke said, smirking. "I agree! I want a shot at him now!" Naruto said, smirking.

Shinji, who stood in the shadows, adjusted his glasses. _(This is an interesting deveopment. If he exhibits this kind of power, I may not be abe to defeat him.)_ He thought to himself. The board lit up, and Shinji brought his attention back to the arena. "Hm. Seems like it's my turn again." Shinji said, disappearing into the shadows. The board read Shinji vs. Sanosuke Kazeyama.

**ShadowRonin: Yep. The most anticipated rivalry has ended with Koji coming out on top. But he didn't win by leaps and bounds. It was down to his 'will not die' will. But that's the way things go sometimes. Now for the rest of the fights, who will win? And who will face who? Find out!!**

**Next Chapter: According to the Board, it's time for Shinji to face off against Sanosuke. The Rock Missing Nin takes on the mysterious nin from Mist. Who will pull out victory, and can Sanosuke beat Shinji's Demon Eyes? Find out on:**

**Chapter 21: The Mountain vs. The Wave! Secret of the Evil Eye!!!**


	21. Wave vs Mountain

**Yo!! The Exams hit a boiling point as Shinji and Sanosuke take the stage, and battle it out. Words are exchanged, and swords are drawn. Can Sanosuke beat the mysterious Mist Nin, or will Shinji defeat him? Find out!!**

Chapter 21: The Mountain vs. The Wave! Secret of the Evil Eye!!!

Sanosuke stood in the arena, waiting for his opponent. _(Koji, you're a tough act to follow, but damnit, I will!)_ Sanosuke thought to himself, tightening his green headband. Shinji appeared from what looked like the Water Country version of the Body Flicker Jutsu.

He appeared, but instead of a swirl of leaves, water swirled around him a little. "You ready?" Sanosuke asked, grasping the index card in his pocket. "I believe that's my question." Shinji said, smirking. "Come off it. I won't lose to you." Sansosuke said. "I believe otherwise." Shinji said, as his glasses created a glare from the light.

"Alright. Sanosuke Kazeyama vs. Shinji. Ready?" Kankuro asked. Shinji nodded, and Sanosuke smirked. "Begin!!" Kankuro screamed, hopping away. Sanosuke pulled out his card and prepared himself. "Kazeyama Style Kenjutsu: Boomerang Blade!!" Sanosuke said, tossing his card like a shuriken. Instead of continuing to spin, Sanosuke made a seal, and his blade shot out, already in Diamond Blade form.

Shinji was caught off guard, and dodged at the last second. The blade was lodged into the wall, as Saosuke appeared on top of it, smirking. "You shouldn't let your guard down. Not even for one second." Sanosuke said, as Shinji smirked at him.

"Okay. I'll give you that one. But that was your fluke shot. I fight for real from now on." Shinji said, smirking. "So be it." Sanosuke said, hopping off his blade, and grabbing the handle, charging.

_(Jounin Exam Hospital)_

Koji yawned, as he rose from the cot he was laying down in. "Hn. Where am I?" Koji muttered to himself. "You are in a Medic's Ward." Koji turned, and saw Gale sitting there, his eyes closed. "Ah!!! Gale!? Why the hell are you here!?" Koji asked.

"Same as you. Got banged up in a fight." Gale said. "Yeah. So, who won?" Koji asked. "Hn. You did, on the count of you stood up before I could." Gale said grudgingly. "**HA!!!** I won!!" Koji bragged. "I let you win. Your jutsu caught me off guard." Gale said. "We both know that's a load of shit!" Koji said, smirking. "How would you know, Dead Last?" Gale said, smirking. "You want to go another round, Gale-Teme!?" Koji screamed, glaring with white eyes.

"Must you both start right after you both beat each other senseless?" They both turned, and Nekobe stood there. "Hey, Nekobe! Why are you here?" Koji asked. "Making sure you stay out of trouble." Nekobe said, smirking. "I don't cause trouble!!" Koji said. "Of course. Trouble just happens to follow you wherever you go." Gale said sarcastically, and Koji glared at him.

_(Sand Arena)_

Sanosuke was swinging his blade masterfully, as Shinji was dodging each sword strike. It was a deadly dance between two warriors, and it was like poetry in motion. (Or some other gay shit like that.)

Sanosuke swung his sword overhead, and Shinji jumped on top of the sword. "Now, little Earth Warrior. Let's see what you can do without this sword of yours." Shinji said, as he pulled a couple of water bottles out of his pocket. He popped the tops, and water spilled out. He made some seals, and smirked. "Water Style: Water Dome Jutsu!" Shinji said, encasing Sanosuke's beloved blade in the Water Dome. No one bothered to figure out why Shinji needed water to catalyze his jutsu, but Sanosuke had it figured out as he hopped away.

_(Hn. It was so humid out two days ago, that he could gather water out from the air.)_ Sanosuke thought to himself. "What? No Water Jutsus out of thin air?" Sanosuke asked, smirking. "Sorry. I don't mess around with those who could actually defeat me." Shinji said, smirking as he adjusted his glasses. Sanosuke actually gave Shinji a surprised look.

_(Eh? He was playing around with Kiba? Then I guess it's go time.)_ Sanosuke thought to himself, getting into a basic Taijutsu stance. Shinji smirked, and put his hand into the Water Dome. "Secret Art: Water Kenjutsu Release!" Shinji said, pulling his hand out of the water. Along with it, a light blue katana came out, and Shinji held it in front of him. "You've got to be kidding me…" Sanosuke said, his eyes dotted. Shinji brought his katana back, and charged.

_(In Sand Village)_

Gale and Koji were admitted to leave while the rest of the matches happened. Koji figured that he had some spare time, he might as well hang in the hotel room. Nothing like a few hours of Guitar Hero and Various Tactics Style Games made famous by Nippon Ichi Software.

"Hey Gale, you any good at games?" Koji asked. "Why would I play anything with an idiot like you?" Gale asked. "Your way of saying that you would get your ass kicked!!" Koji said, smirking. In the course of 5 seconds, Gale was standing next to him, a Guitar Hero Guitar hanging off his neck. "You want to place a bet?" Gale asked.

_(The hell!?!? He looks like a hardcore gamer!!!)_ Koji thought to himself. "Bring it, wind bag!!" Koji said, smirking. _(I am __**SO**__ screwed!)_ Koji screamed in his mind, crying anime tears.

_(Sand Arena)_

Shinji swung his sword masterfully, as Sanosuke had a hard time thinking and dodging sword swipes at the same time. _(Okay, Water Kenjutsu, along with enough water bottles on his person to launch some vicious Water Jutsus. I can take him!)_ Sanosuke thought to himself, as he jumped into the rails and began making seals. "Summoning Earth Style: Golem Rebirth: Sand Golem!!" Sanosuke said, pressing his hands into the rail.

Out of the ground arose a 20 foot tall Sand Golem. "What the hell!?" Shinji said, stupefied. "You wanted to see me go for real, right? Well okay then! Meet Sanosuke Kazeyama, Master of the Golems!!" Sanosuke said, telling his golem to attack Shinji. Shinji jumped out of the way, as the Sand Golem burst into sand, and charged towards Shinji.

His eyes widened, before he dodged the sand that charged at him, and jumped away. The sand reflexively slithered back towards Sanosuke, who smirked. "What? The sand returned to you!?" Shinji said, stunned. "I am the master of this golem. With it's power, I have control over it's sand. I think you know what I can do with it." Sanosuke said, smirking.

"You can fight in a temporary style similar to that of the Kazekage." Shinji said, and everyone's eyes widened. "You could say that." Sanosuke said, as Shinji prayed that this jutsu didn't last for long.

Sanosuke smirked, as he thrust his hand forward, and the sand shot forward. Shinji cursed, and jumped away. The sand followed Shinji like a heat seeking missile, and the way it decimated anything that wasn't Shinji also stated it's missile like qualitites. _(Come on! I need a plan!)_ Shinji thougtht to himself, as he used his chakra to get some of the water from the Water Dome.

"Now! Water Style Kenjutsu: Water's Torrential Fury!!" Shinji said, twisting in mid-air. As he was spinning, water shot furiously out, countering the oncoming sand. "Smart, but not good enough." Sanosuke said, and Shinji turned in time to have his body constricted by sand. "Hn. Similar to Gaara's Sand Coffin." Sanosuke said, smirking. "But not good enough." Sanosuke's eyes widened in disbelief, as the Shinji caught in the sand turned into a piece of the wall that was blasted off last fight.

_(No way. He Substituted at the last second?)_ Sanosuke thought to himself. "You bastard. Pulling something like this at the last second." Sanosuke said. "You shouldn't expect any less. My goal here is Hyosuke. I plan on facing him." Shinji said. "For what reason?" Sanosuke asked, as he secretly made a seal. "It's a job." Shinji merely said. "Sadly for you, Koji is my friend. I won't permit you to kill him." Sanosuke said, as the sand shot, and rammed Shinji into the wall, holding him there.

"I can't allow you to kill my friend. He has something he is aiming for, and I won't allow you to cut that goal short." Sanosuke said, a deadly calm in his voice. Shinji's eyes caught Sanosuke's in an intense moment, before Shinji smirked. "I'm sorry Sanosuke. But it's time I stopped holding back." Shinji said, as the sand turned on its user. "What!? What's happening!?" Sanosuke said, panicking.

"You were foolish to believe that you could stop me." Shinji said, as his glasses glared from the sun. Sanosuke's sand was slowly crushing him. "How? How are you doing this!?" Sanosuke asked, panicking. "That is a power that will follow me to the grave. You have no right to the knowledge of my power." Shinji said, as Sanosuke found it hard to breathe. Shinji then snickered.

"Funny. I've turned the tables on you, and all it took, was 1 minute." Shinji said, as Sanosuke's eyes widened. Then, reality shattered.

When Sanosuke regained his bearings, he realized he was standing where he first stood when he smashed Shinji into the wall. The only difference was that Shinji was now right behind him, a water katana raised right next to his throat. "What?" Sanosuke said, confused. "You fell for my powers. You never stood a chance the moment you stepped into the ring with me." Shinji said, smirking. Sanosuke's face darkened, and he had a wistful look.

"Do you plan on killing my best friend?" Sanosuke asked, the shadows covering his eyes. "It's a mission I must complete, if I want to live to see another day." Shinji said, his glasses glaring from the sun. Sanosuke sighed, and raised his hand. "I quit." Sanosuke said. "Winner, Shinji." Kankuro said.

Shinji and Sanosuke walked out of the arena, Sanosuke having a couple of words for Shinji. "Two last pieces of information for you, Shinji." Sanosuke said. "Eh?" Shinji asked. "When the time comes for you to kill Koji, you **WILL** have to go through me to kill him." Sanosuke said, and Shinji smirked at him.

"Good luck." Shinji said. "Second, you would be wise to cover your eyes better. They flash from the usual dark blue to bright red." Sanosuke said, walking away as Shinji's eyes widened. He turned, and glanced at Sanosuke, who was walking away. _(He figured it out!?)_ He then smirked to himself. "Figures. Hyosuke seems to hold some powerful allies with him. Makes the hunt that much more exciting." Shinji said.

As the board lit up, everyone waited with anticipation for the next fight. There were only for people left who didn't fight yet. Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Haku. One of the four was edgy, ready to battle. Another was lazy about the whole thing, not caring either way. The last two were calm about it. The board stopped, and there was a disappointed 'Damn!' that went through the arena. Next battle: Mist (Haku) vs. Sasuke Uchiha.

**ShadowRonin: Shinji won, and Sanosuke discovered the secret of the Demon Eye. Flashes of bright red give opponents a quick second to react, but the window is so narrow, that seeing the flash is a skill that few have. Shinji knows now, that Sanosuke is a bigger threat than before. But will it change his resolve? Find out.**

**Next Chapter: A rematch from the past. An old battle underway. Two Bloodlines clash against each other, in a rematch that will blow you out of your seats. Three years have come and gone between them, and now it's time for the two to meet again. Haku and Sasuke battle!! Who will win? Find out on:**

**Chapter 22: The Mist vs. The Snake! Bloodline Throwdown!!!**


	22. Snake vs Mist

**Yo!! An old battle from the beginning of the series is played out 3 years later.**

Chapter 22: The Mist vs. The Snake! Bloodline Throwdown!!!

Sasuke and Haku walked towards the arena, both glancing at each other. "I'm different from what I was when we first battled." Sasuke said. "I would hope so. You don't have your friends red chakra to rely on this time around." Haku said.

"I won't need it this time around." Sasuke said, smirking. Haku tilted his mask, and smiled. "Be prepared. I owe you and your teammates a few lumps for killing Zabuza-sama." Haku said. "Good. I owe you a few lumps for nearly killing me." Sasuke said.

_(Hotel)_

Sanosuke walked back to the hotel, bored. "Koji wasn't at the arena. I bet he is back at the room, playing some video-game." Sanosuke said. Before he could knock, he heard what sounded like guitars being played.

"Damnit. Not Guitar Hero again. He's going to make me play that game with him, and crush me." Sanosuke sighed to himself. He was about to open the door, but a scream from inside the room caused him to sweat drop. "Damnit!! That's the 8th game in a row I've lost! Best 9 out of 17!!" Sanosuke smirked.

"So, someone who can put him in his place in that damn guitar game?" Sanosuke said, smirking to himself.

_(Sand Arena)_

Sasuke and Haku stood across from each other. Kankuro called begin, and hopped away, as Sasuke activated his Sharingan. Haku expected him to charge, but was surprised when he put one hand behind his back, and stretched one hand out.

"That's…" Lee said, surprised. "Gai and Lee's Taijutsu. He plans on using it against him?" Kakashi said, not too surprised. Sasuke took the stance, and then took off. Haku dodged the quick punch at the last second, before Sasuke could hit him.

"Hmm. This makes things a little bit more annoying." Zabuza said, as he was hiding out on top of the arena. "We have a situation." Zabuza turned, and saw Shinji there.

"Huh?" Zabuza asked. "Hyosuke. He will be a tougher target than I first believed." Shinji said. "Why is that?" Zabuza asked, sounding annoyed. "He has some powerful allies on his side. Some that will make the mission twice as hard." Shinij said. Zabuza sighed.

"I know. The person who defeated me twice said that he would defend Koji." Zabuza said. "That's a bridge we will cross when the time comes. But really, there's another thing that doesn't feel right to me." Shinji said. "These people that hired us, brought you two back from the dead, and called on my skills. Why would they go out of their way for one person?" Shinji said.

"I'd rather not think about it. We are both here because of our skills. They have a bind over the three of us, and until we finish that mission, we will be kept alive." Zabuza said. "Not in my case." Shinji said. Zabuza looked at him, and Shinji smiled.

"They promised memories. I wish to know who I am. Why I have these skills, these abilities." Shinji said. "You are here because of a past you have no clue about?" Zabuza asked. Shinji nodded, and sighed.

"Maybe learning about your past will be more painful than never knowing." Shinji said. Zabuza stayed silent, contemplating the thoughts of his partner.

Sasuke and Haku were zipping all around the arena, as flashes from kunai hitting iron Senbon created sparks. Haku was then blasted, and flew into the wall. They were moving fast enough, that even yours truly couldn't commentate in them without slowing the screen down. So, slow it down I shall. Well, let's see:

Starts off with both nin pulling out some sort of weapon. Now, they run at each other, and block punches and kicks. Haku lands one, and Sasuke jumps back, pulling out a shuriken. Haku appears in front of him and knocks it away, as Sasuke steals a senbon. They both then begin to swordfight using said Senbon (sweatdrop) and they both go flying in the air. Both nin glance at each other, before throwing their fists forward. **"JAN KEN PO!!!"** (Bigger sweat drop) Sasuke had Rock, and Haku had scissors. Haku cursed as Sasuke smirked. Haku dropped his hands as Sasuke punched him dead into the wall, where he is when the tape ends.

(Wow, since coming back to Konoha, Sasuke has become what he was before he left for power. I guess he's showing his true colors. But anyways, back to the match.)

"Is that all you got?" Sasuke asked, smirking. "I've merely begun." Haku said, as he pulled out two water bottles. "Hn. No humidity to call upon this time around?" Sasuke asked. "It is something of a pain, but I can work around it." Haku said, as he opened the bottles. He tossed them into the air, and made a hand sign.

"Secret Art: Ice Pillars of Chaos!!" Haku said, and the water on the ground shot towards Sasuke as pillars of ice. Sasuke dodged them quite easily, but was cut and nicked by some ice needles falling from the sky. Sasuke landed on the pillars, and charged at Haku, Chidori blazing in his right hand. Haku smiled behind his mask, and the air dropped to cold degrees again.

"Your attack won't hit me." Haku said, as one of his Demonic Mirrors appeared behind them. "Like you could do anything to stop me. I have a goal." Haku said, as the other Mirrors came to surround Sasuke. "A goal?" Sasuke asked. "This exam isn't of my true concern. My goal is the death of a certain nin." Haku said, stepping into the mirrors, and appearing in all of them.

"You wish to kill Naruto, myself, or Kakashi?" Sasuke asked. "No. The death I seek is the one named Koji Hyosuke." Haku said. "You mean that idiot? What reason do you wish to kill him?" Sasuke said. "It is something that was assigned to me and Zabuza-sama." Haku said, and Sasuke's eyes widened. "He's still alive?" Sasuke asked.

"If you can defeat me, I may talk." Haku said, as he began raining senbon on Sasuke, who, thanks to Sharingan, was able to dodge most of them with ease.

"Zabuza-taichou, do you think it's wise to trust these Association Guys?" Shinji asked, and Zabuza glanced at him. "…Not in particular." Zabuza said. "Then why do we go along with this mission?" Shinji said. "It's called self-preservation. That guy, Xin, could kill all three of us at the same time if he truly wanted to." Zabuza said.

"Then does that mean we are being cowards?" Shinji said. "If you want to look at it that way, then yes, we are. In my mind, it's fleeing when the time comes." Zabuza said. "Is this really the true colors of someone like you!?" Shinji screamed.

Zabuza gave him a glare so fierce and cold that even Shinji was silent. "You're not from Kiri (Mist f.y.i), so I wouldn't expect you to understand. But there, it's kill or be killed. If you are at a fight you can't win, you tend to flee if it isn't for a mission. It takes courage to stand tall against an opponent, but even greater courage to know when to pick your fights!" Zabuza scolded, and Shinji lowered his head.

"Being obvious about what you are going to do is like asking to die. After this, we shall never meet them again. I have enough issues with making sure that Hunter Nin don't know I'm alive. After this mission, you will never see me again." Zabuza said. "If that's how it is." Shinji said.

Sasuke was hoping with all his will that the Mirrors took up quite a bit of chakra, bcause he really couldn't avoid these needles forever. One good slip, and Sasuke wold be a living imitation of a porcupine. So, he made some hand seals for his favorite jutsu, and a stream of intense fire shot out. The mirrors melted a tad bit, but there was no real damage done to them.

"Shit. Still not strong enough to melt them." Sasuke said to himself. "You weren't the only one improving after we last met. I am signifigantly stronger than I was when we first met." Haku said. "What about that Jounin you worked under?" Sasuke said, as he prepared the Chidori. "He is stronger as well." Haku said. "To bad. From what I remember, Kakashi is stronger as well." Sasuke said, as he enveloped himself in the Chidori Current.

"And I am strong enough to beat you by myself!" Sasuke said, as he extened the wave from the Chidori Current so that it surrounded the entire area the mirrors covered. "Now try and come out! I guarantee that you will get a nice shock." Sasuke said, de-activating his Sharingan.

Both nin were trying to fight out to see who could stay in this dead lock for the longest, and it seemed that Sasuke was winning. Haku's mirrors seemed to take more chakra than Sasuke maintaining the Chidori Current he had running. So Haku was forced to think on the fly. With one seal, all the mirrors shattered, and none of them produced Haku. Sasuke de-activated the Current, and stood in a ready stance.

Haku was hiding himself very well, but Sasuke believed that he could beat him. He heard a whizzing sound, and turned in time to block a senbon. He jumped away towards the wall, but was surprised when he felt something stab him in the back. "You lose." Haku said, as Sasuke's hair covered his eyes.

"Wrong again." Haku felt a kunai grazing his throat, and saw the Sasuke in front of him disappear. (Shadow Clone Jutsu.) Haku thought to himself. "You obviously outclass me, Sasuke Uchiha." Haku said, and Sasuke smirked. "I call it quits." Haku said. Kankuro nodded, and Sasuke lowered his kunai.

When both nin were resting, as everyone waited for the next fight, Sasuke glanced over to Haku. "I will warn you now. Koji isn't going to die." Sasuke said. "Why is that?" Haku asked. "Because he will be defended by allies who could easily take you three out." Sasuke said.

"You included?" Haku asked. "I won't even be needed. Naruto and Kakashi would be more than enough for you two." Sasuke said. "What if we have a third member?" Haku said. "Then I guess that we'll see, won't we?" Sasuke said.

And so, we come to the last battle. The final fight of the Second Round. Naruto Uzumaki vs. Shikamaru Nara. The Kyuubi Kid vs. The Shadow Genius. The Master of the Shadow Clones and Rasengan vs. The Master of Tactics and Shadow Skills. There was no way to place a bet on who would win. It was truly a battle of Brains vs. Brawns.

**ShadowRonin: Yeah. Sasuke beat Haku, but it wasn't a complete blowout. If Haku had been fighting as thought Zabuza's life was in danger, he would have given a fiercer fight. But since his winning doesn't matter to the mission, he didn't go all out. But Sasuke doesn't need to know this. Now, the last battle, and boy is this going to be a doozy. Shikamaru vs. Naruto! Ready! Set!!! GO!!!!**

**Next Chapter: Both are members of the Elite Konoha 12. Both have a Trademark Jutsu. One involving Clones, another with Shadows. One's the brilliant Tactician, the other is a vessel for the strongest demon known to mankind. Naruto vs. Shikamaru. Brains vs. Brawn. Shadow Possession vs. Shadow Clone. Who will win in:**

**Chapter 23: The Fox vs. The Sloth!! Power of Will vs. The Power of Mind!!!**


	23. Fox vs Sloth

**Yo!! Two of the strongest members of the Konoha 12 meet for a battle that will answer the age old question: Does Brains or Brawn bring power? Personally, I had lots of fun writing this chapter. It was fun thinking up different moves for the two ninja to use. But that's another story. Have fun!!**

Chapter 23: The Fox vs. The Sloth!! Power of Will vs. The Power of Mind!!!

Naruto jumped into the arena, and began jumping in anticipation, as Shikamaru walked down lazily. "You ready, Shikamaru? I'm going to mop the floor with you!!" Naruto said, as Shikamaru sighed.

(Maybe I should just call it quits. I have no intention of becoming a Jounin. It would make my life all the more annoying.) Shikamaru thought to himself. Before he could even weigh the outcome of his decisions, Tsunade stood, glaring.

"**SHIKAMARU!!!! IF YOU EVEN DARE TRY TO QUIT, I WILL BUST YOUR ASS BACK DOWN TO GENIN, AND FORCE YOU TO DO D-RANK MISSIONS TILL YOU DIE!!!!"** Tsuande threatened.

Though this kind of threat wouldn't work on him normally, the fact that Ino and Temari would never let him live it down motivated him to actually try and defeat Naruto. "Sorry Naruto. I guess that it's more troublesome to let you win than it is to fight." Shikamaru said. "Good. I didn't want to win due to you wussing out!" Naruto said.

"Unlike the rest of you, I have no wish to become a Jounin. This exam is a mission to me." Shikamaru said. "But Shikamaru, you are one of the smartest people here. I believe you to be stronger than a Chuunin!!" Naruto said.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. The only way to find out is if I do my best, or some crap like that." Shikamaru said. He yawned, but showed he was ready, while Naruto smirked.

_(Outside Arena)_

"Hey Sasuke, do you think Naruto will win?" Sakura asked, as they headed for the hotel rooms. "The idiots not going down until I take him down." Sasuke said, and Sakura smiled.

They entered the hotel, and headed for the hallway where the competitors were staying in. They stopped when they heard a guitar coming fron Koji and Sanosuke's room, along with a loud **'FUCK!!!!'**

Both sweat dropped, and peered their ears to listen to what was happening. "Give up Koji. You've been trying for the last hour now. Just let it die." "**NO!!** I won't let that prick have the satisfaction of believing he can beat me in a game I **KICK ASS IN**!!!" "Funny, because the only ass getting kicked is yours, loser." "**THAT'S IT!!! YOU WANT TO STEP OUTSIDE!?**" "Koji. Let it die. He's better, so what? He looks like he plays it religiously." "Are you implying I have no life?" "Look at your guitar! It's tricked out! You're a religious player!" "Who kicked your ass 15 in a row." "**THAT DOES IT!!!!**"

Sasuke and Sakura left when they heard crashes, explosions, and jutsus being launched. Maybe Naruto hasn't started yet. That would be less noisy than what they just left from. Apparently the argument led to a hotel room Battle Royal.

_(The Arena)_

Begin was called, and Naruto charged like a bull. Shikamaru pulled out two Trench Knives, and took a defensive stance. Naruto made 4 Shadow Clones as he charged, and Shikamaru tossed some shuriken.

All the clones scattered, and Shikamau stood, in a ready stance. He turned, just as a clone was about to hit him in the back of the head. He dodged the punch, and cut the clone, making it poof away. Another two clones appeared, charging from behind. Shikamaru spun, and sliced them in mid-air. He then turned, and tossed the knives to the ground.

The knives hit the ground, and a black blob shot out. "Sorry Naruto. You got caught." Shikamaru said. Indeed, the two knives had sprouted some Shadows, and snared the two Narutos. Shikamaru thought something wasn't right, but couldn't put his finger on it.

His eyes widened, and he jumped back, as Naruto blasted through the ground. Naruto landed on his feet, as Shikamaru smirked. "Not bad at all Naruto. You almost got me." Shikamaru said, as the clones his knives caught poofed into thin air. "Your Shadow Clones are such a pain." Shikamaru said, and Naruto smirked. "You ain't seen nothing yet!" Naruto said, as he created 5 more clones.

_(Sand District)_

Shinji walked through the Sand Village, bored. Since his talk with Zabuza, he had been questioning the mission they were currently on. Koji, from what he saw when he fought Gale, was stronger than he first thought.

And that chakra. He had felt it. Koji had access to another supply of chakra. All he knew for sure was that it held electric powers, and he was going to be ready when the time came to battle him.

(Even if it's meant to be his death, I really want to fight that power.) Shinji thought to himself. He walked some more, before he got lost in his thoughts and bumped into someone. He looked up, and standing in front of him was Kimimaro, along with Tayuya.

_(Sand Arena)_

Three of the Narutos jumped into the air, as Nauto stayed back to prepare the Rasengan. Shikamaru dodged the three Narutos, and tried to dispatch them. He managed to kill two of them, but was distracted by a fierce flash of chakra, he turned, his hands in a seal, as Naruto was three steps away, Rasengan about to plow dead into his back.

One step away, and Naruto froze.

Rasengan was an inch away from plowing into Shikamaru's back, but he managed to Shadow Bind Naruto before the attack could hit. "Almost." Shikamaru said, taunting Naruto. "Damn!!" Naruto screamed, as his Rasengan sizzled away. "I will admit you aren't as stupid as you were Naruto, but you are dealing with someone who isn't a fighter like yourself. I am a thinker." Shikamaru said.

"And I will beat you!" Naruto said, as another Naruto wielding the Rasnegan appeared behind Shikamaru. Shikamaru cursed seconds before the Rasengan hit…nothing. Shikamaru smirked, as Naruto's hand went right through him. "Seems like you have become quite acquainted with my Shadow Walker." Shikamaru said, as his Shadow Walker binded Naruto where he stood. Shikamaru had disappeared to the entrance of the arena.

"Eh!? How did you get there, Shikamaru!?" Naruto asked, confused. "Shadow Step Jutsu. Allows me to disappear into the shadows and reappear from another shadow in a 100 yard radius." Shikamaru said, smirking.

_(Sand District)_

"And you two are?" Shinji asked, as Kimimaro and Tayuya sized him up. "None of your damn business." Tayuya retorted, thinking she could take the kid. Shinji fixed his glasses, and sighed.

"I don't feel like dealing with hot-headed bitches right now. If you don't mind." Shinji said, as he walked by both Shadow Blade nin. Tayuya glared quite fiercely, and was about to talk his ear off using some colorful language, but Kimimaro held his hand up to silence her.

"Shinji, what is your goal here in these exams?" Kimimaro asked. Shinji turned to glance at them, and smirked. "What reason should I tell you?" Shinji asked. "Those who seek strength using their own powers are not ninja. They are merely trash." Kimimaro said, and Shinji actually glared at him. "Are you trying to say I'm a trash ninja?" Shinji said.

"I frankly would agree with Bone Boy here. You don't seem like a ninja. Merely a lone wolf who works alone." Tayuya quipped, as the Sun gave Shinji's glasses a glare. "Then excuse me." Shinji said, glaring at them. Neither Nin felt it, but Shinji had them in his gaze, and he was going to give them some mental beatdowns.

_(Sand Arena)_

"Ready to call it quits Naruto? My Shadow Walker will off you whenever I feel like it. Since these matches are no holds barred, I can kill you without fear of being reprimanded." Shikamaru said with such a calm that Naruto thought he was being dead serious.

In fact, Tsunade also believed he was serious because the glare she leveled at him caused Shikamaru to feel like he was going to die for this. "Well Naruto, it was fun." Shikamaru said. "It's not over yet." Naruto put his hands into a seal, and began gathering chakra.

His chakra stayed blue, until a burst of red chakra caused the Shadow Walker to burst. (That red chakra from before. He's going to use it on someone like me, eh?) Shikamaru thought to himself, amused. He never figured that Naruto would have to fight seriously to take him out.

"Let's go!!" Naruto said, as he charged. Instead of being in sight, he ran so fast, dust picked up from where he was. Shikamaru stood in the middle, as a dust storm encircled him. He was forced to do the only thing that could help him. He dropped to one knee, and made the sign he made for deep thought.

_(Sand District)_

Tayuya and Kimimaro were wondering why Shinji was just standing there, smirking at them, before something that wasn't normal happened. Kimimaro turned to look at Tayuya, who was blushing fiercely, and moaning.

Kimimaro raised an eyebrow. (What's going on?) Kimimaro thought to himself. Her moans were becoming more erotic and loud, and Kimimaro couldn't see what was happening. He turned to look at Shinji, and saw that his gaze was leveled directly at Tayuya.

As if to make the situation more confusiong, she was muttering things like 'faster!' and 'yes!' and Kimimaro couldn't place where the hell this effect on her was coming from. "Don't bother trying to locate what is causing the Genjutsu, Kimimaro of the Kaguya Clan." Shinji said, and Kimimaro glanced at him.

"Who gave you my name?" Kimimaro asked, and Shinji's smirk got even broader. "You won't know unless you ask the correct question, Kimimaro-san." Shinji said, and he closed his eyes. "Hope you got to enjoy this little show, because all it took, was one minute." Shinji said, and reality shattered.

_(Sand Arena)_

Shikamaru had a plan. It was dicey, and because it was Naruto, chanes were 50/50. But he believed (more like hoped) that his plan would work. He stood to his feet, as Naruto charged. Ninja reflexes was the only thing that saved Shikamaru from a blow to the back of the head.

He slid out of the way just in time to watch Naruto barrel into the wall, and launch off of it, causing the wall to shatter. "Just adds more problems." Shikamaru said, as he fished out a Flash Bomb. "A Flash Bomb!? What the hell makes you think you can blind me?" Naruto asked. "Who said it's to blind you?" Shikamaru said, as he tossed them into the air.

The bombs went off, and a bright light shone throughout the arena. Naruto covered his eyes, but was surprised when Shikamaru gave a victorious smirk. He put his hands into a seal, and his shadow turned into a giant deer-like beast.

"Naruto, meet my Shadow Beast. Shadow Beast, meet Naruto." Shikamaru said, as Naruto sweat dropped. (You've got to be kidding me…) Naruto thought to himself, as the deer ran it's head down, nearly crushing Naruto with it's antlers. Naruto jumped away in time, but the deer monster shuffled it's head, launching shadows in the forms of needles at Naruto. Naruto managed to dodge all of them, and even attempted to block one of them with a kunai.

The Shadow Needle slithered along the kunai, and dug itself into his chest, like it was aimed there. It felt like a stab wound, and Naruto realized that blocking them would be a very bad idea. So he went with the alternate plan. If he couldn't fight that thing one-on-one, he knew someone who would. So, biting his finger, he made the seals, and smirked.

"**SUMMONING JUTSU!!!**" Naruto screamed, slamming his hand into the ground. A large amount of smoke shot out, and Shikamaru groaned in frustration. (I should have figured this. He **WAS** trained by Jiraiya.) Shikamaru thought to himself, as Gamabunta appeared, Naruto sitting right on top of him.

"Boss Toad!! See that black deer! It said your mama was a tadpole!" Naruto said, and everyone sweat dropped. "**HE SAID WHAT!?!?!**" Gamanbunta screamed, and Shikamaru sweat dropped. "**I'LL KICK HIS ASS!!!**" Gamabunta charged the Shadow Beast, and they took their battle outside.

Shikamaru groaned in frustration. Naruto fell from the sky, charging head first. The best Shikamaru could do was to get into a defensive stance. His Shadow Beast had taken his whole shadow to conjure, and his knives were nowhere to be seen.

Then he felt it. Gamabunta defeated his Shadow Beast, so that meant his shadow would be returning. Shikamaru jumped out of the way of the attack, and a Naruto charged from behind, ready to punch him. Shikamaru didn't move, and he didn't need to.

Naruto was an inch away before Shadow Tendrils had him immobilized. "Seems like Shadow Sewing saved my hide." Shikamaru said, sighing. "Not so fast!!" Shikamaru turned in time to see Naruto right in front of him, Rasengan a foot from his chest.

"Got you! **RASENGAN!!!**" Naruto screamed, as the swirling sphere ran into Shikamaru's gut. (Guess this is it. I screwed up, and Naruto pulled it off.) Shikamaru thought to himself, as he spun in the air, and hit the wall upside-down. He wasn't unconscious, but that attack hurt like hell. He slowly stood to his feet, and groaned.

"Yo, Kankuro. I'm done. I can't hope to keep up, and my chakra is near the end." Shikamaru said, and Kankuro smirked. "You aware that Temari will never let you live this down, right?" Kankuro said. "It can't be helped. If I had a third of the chakra that Naruto had, then I would continue, but that Shadow Beast took a dent in my reserves. It can't be helped." Shikamaru said, shrugging. "If you say so, then the winner is Naruto Uzumaki." Kankuro said, and everyone began cheering.

_(Sand District)_

Shinji turned his back to the two Shadow Blade Nin as he began to walk away. "What was that move you did?" Kimimaro asked. Shinji smirked, and glanced back at them. "It's a jutsu that is exclusive only to me, and me alone. Besides, aren't you curious as to what, or _who_, made her act like that?" Shinji asked, walking away.

Kimimaro turned to look at her, but her face was blazing red, almost the same color as her hair, and she refused to look him in the face. Kimimaro looked confused. "Tayuya, what happened?" Kimimaro asked. Tayuya didn't answer, but her blush got even darker. Kimimaro decided to drop it, since he wasn't going to get any answers from the foul mouthed nin.

"Whatever that attack was it's dangerous. He isn't someone to take lightly." Kimimaro said to himself. "I know. He's in a league of his own." Tayuya muttered. This time, Kimimaro looked at her, surprised. "You not talking shit? What did he do to you?" Kimimaro asked. Tayuya turned crimson again, and looked away.

"Personal." Was her reply, before she disappeared in a poof of leaves. (Reason: Since Orochimaru is originally from Konoha, he learned Body Flicker the way Leaf Nin do, with the swirling leaves.) Kimimaro sighed. It wasn't his business, but the way she said it, he figured that she woud tell him eventually.

Sighing, he pulled out a bone in the shape of a back scratcher, and began to get the itch that was on his back. (Anyone who saw this would be stupefied) After that was taken care of, he poofed away as well.

_(Sand Arena)_

Naruto and Shikamaru walked out of the arena together, Naruto bragging about his victory, and Shikamaru ignoring him. "Hey Naruto!!" Both turned, as Sakura ran to them, Sasuke walking behind her. "Hey Sakura-chan!! I won against Shikamaru!!!" Naruto gloated, and Shikamaru sighed.

"You only won because I didn't have the chakra to continue." Shikamaru said. "That sounds right." Sasuke said, and Naruto glared at him. "You quit!?" Shikamaru turned just in time to get whacked over the head by Ino.

"What the hell!?" Shikamaru said, irritated. "You could have beaten him!!" Ino screamed. "Well I'm sorry my chakra reserves don't agree!" Shikamaru replied, obviously annoyed. "Leave it, Ino. You really expected him to defeat Naruto of all people?" Chouji asked. "YES!!!" Ino screamed.

"He made it farther than any of us." Tenten said, as her, Lee, and Neji walked towards them. "He has the power of youth! Stronger than any of us!!" Lee screamed, and everyone sweat dropped.

"Shikamaru did get farther than any of us." Kiba said, as his team appeared. "Shino probably could have gone far, but he got Naruto early." Shino shrugged. "Hinata got Koji, though she tried her best. Wonder what kind of training he got to do all of that?" Kiba mused outloud, as everyone headed for the hotel.

They all thought on it. Koji seemed pretty strong before, but now, he was on a level where even Naruto and Sasuke would be given a run for their money. They saw the hotel, and everyone breathed a breath of relief. They were going to take the rest of the day off. Of course it couldn't be that easy, and a corner of the hotel exploding told the tale.

_(Hotel Lobby)_

"**WHAT IN THE FUCK WERE YOU THREE DUMB BASTARDS THINKING!?!?!?**" The manager screamed at a sheepish looking Koji, an irritated Sanosuke, and a not-so-concerned Gale.

"I'm sorry, but my father was very much married when I was born." Gale said, and it took everything Koji had not to snicker. "My father is dead, but he was alive at some point." Sanosuke said, and Koji smirked. "My dad is not of this world." All three nin began to snicker (yes, even Gale) before the manager's face turned red from fury.

"**YOU THREE ASS-HOLES OWE ME AN ENTIRE SECTION OF THE HOTEL!!!!**" He screamed in fury. "Well, excuse me for trying to put an overconfident arrogant prick in his place." Koji said, and Gale smirked at him. "Said 'prick' still kicked your ass in Guitar Hero." Gale stated, smirking, while Koji glared.

"Let it die for the love of Kami-sama!" Sanosuke said, stepping in between them. "**ARE YOU THREE IGNORING ME!?!?!**" The manager yelled in sheer anger. "Oh, you say something?" Koji asked, and they all got a little nervous when they could see the smoke coming out of his head.

"Umm…can we make a deal?" Sanosuke asked, sweating. "What kind of deal?" The manager asked, trying his best to reign his anger. "How about you ignore this little issue, and we get free rooms?" Koji asked, as his two friends gave him 'what the fuck!?!?!' looks.

"**GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOTEL!!!!**" He bellowed in pure anger. "Sorry, I see no fucks in this hotel area." Koji retorted, before a Rocket Launcher was pointed dead at his face.

"**O.O** You're allowed to carry this!?" Koji asked, as he slowly raised his hands into the air. "It's for my 'special tenants.'" He stated in a really satanic voice. "Does the Kazekage allow this?" Gale asked, something close to awe in his voice. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He said in same satanic voice, his expression stating 'Koji is one smart-ass comment away from getting his face blasted off.'

"One last question?" Sanosuke said. "Is the fact that you wield a Rocket Launcher compensation for a small pair of balls?" The Lobby met Rocket Launcher. Lobby never stood a chance.

_(Sand Hospital)_

"So that's why you three are in my hospital." Gaara said, as Koji, Gale, and Sanosuke were sitting in the hospital. This is number two for Koji and Sanosuke, and Gale's first time.

"You should do something about that guy! He almost killed us!" Koji said. "It was deserved, we know." Gale said. "I won't make you guys pay, but Koji, this is the second hotel." Gaara stated. (Back in Chapter 12.) "Sorry." Koji said, scratching the back of his head.

"Luckliy, I'm a somewhat 'nice' guy, so I'll somehow get you back into that hotel. One more mishap involving them, and you better hope you have camping gear." Gaara said, as he left. "Kazekage seems nice. I bet he's real cool!" Koji said. (If only he knew what he was like a few years back…) They both thought, as shivers ran down their spines.

**ShadowRonin: So this section is over. The rounds end with Shikamaru still quitting, but with good reason. He was out of chakra, and a Shikamaru with no shadow is useless. More so than any other ninja due to a lack of good Taijutsu. But besides that, the round is over!!! Now, we have one intermission chapter of randomness, and go to the next sets. For now, wait it out, and hope for the best! **

**Next Chapter: Finding nothing better to do, Koji decides to make trouble in the only way he knows how: Strip poker. (Before any yaoi enthusiasts start frothing, no yaoi is involved. Yuri? Well…I guess none of that either…) Revelations, battles, and a rare Naruto moment of insight. All surrounding the awkward topic of sex. Join the sheer randomness in:**

**Chapter 24: Random Life Education from Sand Village! Koji Raises Hell AGAIN!!!**


	24. Koji's Big Plan

**Yo!! Time for some comendy. The Jounin Exams are nearing the end, and the final four have been revealed. But before they can take each other on, there is a day of respite. The question now is can the final four survive the day? Let's find out!!**

Chapter 24: Random Life Education from Sand Village! Koji Raises Hell AGAIN!!!

Koji was smirking. It was a smirk that was real identifiable by Naruto and Sasuke. This smirk meant that Koji was going to cause trouble/risk his life on intuition/flirt subtley with Sakura, or do something that will affect everyone in their little group.

"Sasuke, Naruto. I believe you two need girlfriends!!" Seems like it's the latter. "What?" Naruto and Sasuke said, reluctantly. "Yeah!! I bet you two would be more happy if you two had significant others!" Koji said, as Naruto and Sasuke both gave him dot eyes.

"What about you and Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. "This isn't about me." Koji said, sweat dropping. "Okay, I'll humor you. Who would you have us date?" Sasuke asked, genuinely curious. "Well, do we **REALLY** have to say who would be best for Naruto?" Koji asked. Sasuke knew what he was talking about, but Naruto was confused.

"Who?" Naruto asked, emitting a sweat drop from Sasuke and Koji. "I'll tell you later." Koji replied. "Whatever. What girl could the Teme fall for?" Naruto asked. Both nin looked over Sasuke.

"Cold emotionless ass." Koji said. "Short fuse." Naruto said. "Probably can't get along with the opposite sex." Koji said. "Large gathering of the female population." Naruto said. "My best bet would be Tenten!" Koji said, and both gave him 'are you high?' looks.

"What? Tenten tolerates Neji! In fact, I bet she's his best friend. If she can hang with Neji, than Sasuke should be able to get her to like him!" Koji said. "There's a big difference between Sasuke and Neji. I'll explain:

Neji: Serious, emotionless prick. Though emotionless, his emotionlessness comes off as being serious all the time, like he doesn't relax. Loyal to his friends, fights hard for those he is charged to protect.

Sasuke: Arrogant, emotionless prick. His emotionlessness comes off as intimidating, and he always tries to look like he wants no one around. Confident in his skills to the point of arrogance is apparent in some cases."

Koji and Sasuke looked at Naruto, amazement on their faces. "So what you're saying is that Neji is easier to approach than Sasuke?" Koji asked. "Well it's true. You aren't easy to talk to." Naruto said, and Sasuke sighed. "I can't say it's my fault for that. You know, Clan destruction, Avenger, the whole nine yards." Sasuke said.

"I believe that with the right stuff, Sasuke will bag Tenten in no time!!" Koji said with utmost confidence. "Joy…" Sasuke said, less than enthusiastic. "And with that thing Tsunade-baa-chan is making all of us attend, you can start working there!" Naruto said. "What thing?" Koji asked.

_(Sand Village Gathering Place)_

"**OH HELL NO!!!"** Koji screamed, his eyes white. The thing Tsunade told them to attend: Ninja Sex Ed Class. "I **WON'T** do this!!" Koji screamed. "Like we have a choice. All Chuunin, ages 16-20, are forced to attend." Neji said, walking towards them. "Why the hell are you here!? You are a Jounin!!" Koji and Naruto screamed.

"I pissed our dear Hokage off." Neji said, and they all looked confused. "I tripped, and dropped her sake. This is punishment." Neji said. All three looked at him, and sweat dropped. "Haven't been on the ball recently, eh Neji?" Koji asked. Neji shrugged passively, and all four sighed wistfully. "Might as well get this over with." Sasuke said, and all four trudged into the building where this would take place.

_(Inside the Room)_

Koji was content. From what he could guess, his group consisted of him, Sanosuke, Gale, Sasuke, Neji, Sakura, and Shino. Shinji was also there, but they didn't seem to notice each other until they were sitting next to each other.

Everything was serene, until the person that would be lecturing them walked in. The person that walked in was drop dead hot, and she had the attention of every boy in the room. Koji admitted to himself that she was hot, but he wasn't going to openly lust for her. Sasuke, Gale and Neji kept their stoic faces. Shinji smirked. Shino, well, no one knows wat he did due to his coat and glasses.

"Hello everyone, my name is Kasami. I will be your instructor." She said, with a sweet voice. "Hey baby! Why don't you ditch the lesson, and let us play 'doctor' with you?" One of the more brash boys said, getting whoops and high fives from his friends. Kasami merely smiled, and pulled out a pieve of chalk.

"Seeing as how the boys are so enthusiastic, why don't they explain what the first subject is?" She said, writing on the board. As the word was spelled, all males (including Shino) in the room slowly paled, and wicked smirks appeared on the women.

Said word: Castration.

"So, anyone care to explain?" Kasami asked, smiling while all the girls hands shot up. Not even bothering to pay attention, she went into great detail of what happens when something is neutered, and all men paled considerably. Koji's hand shot up, in panic. "Kasami-sensei, I believe we got the point. Change of subject please?" Koji pleaded.

"Sorry Koji-_kun_. This is a serious lesson, as all men should be taught, especially considering that most men are sexist pigs anyway." She said, and an anger vein appeared on Koji's head. (Oh!! We're dealing with a feminist!! An extreme one also!! Not going to stand for it!!) Koji thought to himself, as he smirked evilly at Shinji.

He scribbled something, and passed it to Shinji, as Kasami ranted on how men were no good. Shinji got the paper, and smirked. "You know what to do. Signed: Koji." Shinji knew damn well what to do. When Kasami turned to look at them, Shinji caught her eye, and used his Evil Eye.

_(10 minutes later)_

Koji's class was given some free time, as Kasami-Sensei had to be walked out, due to severe mirages involving 'hot men giving it to her from behind.' Shinji and Koji kept their plan to themselves, but gave each other five when the plan succeeded. Before long, another person came.

Takano-Sensei was all about presentation, so he told them of STD's using a Powerpoint Presentation, that was incredibly graphic, informational, and used lots of pictures that even Sasuke, Shino, and Neji were squeamish to see. End result: This whole thing guaranteed that his class would be too disturbed about doing anything sexual.

_(Outside After Everything Was Done)_

"That was worse than when Gai-Sensei taught us about the birds and bees using Interpretive Dance." Neji said, shuddering. The images that flew through Sasuke, Naruto, Koji, and Sanosuke's heads caused them to shudder violently. "I say for surviving the day, we should go out for ramen!!" Naruto screamed. "Of course you would." Koji said. Despite their mentioning of Naruto always eating ramen, they headed to a ramen bar anyway.

They each had their share of rameny goodness, before Koji's greates rival appeared, smirking. "Hey Koji, still believe you're any good at Guitar Hero?" Gale had given an open challenge, and Koji was going to reply in style. "Alright Windbag! The song this time is Jordan!!" Koji said, and Gale flashed a look of nervousness before it was pushed into the back of his stoic mask.

"Bring it." Gale said. (For those who never played Guitar Hero, Jordan is stupid hard! Look it up on Youtube, and you will understand.)

_(Sand Village Square)_

Both nin stood ready to play. Bragging rights were on the line, and both nin were playing a song that was near impossible to 5-star. Both had set it up so that a crowd would be watching them from a big screen T.V. that Shiro had summoned.

"You ready, Windbag?" Koji asked. "Anytime you are." Gale said, as the song loaded up. Both relaxed, and prepared themselves for the fight of their lives, as the notes appeared on the screen.

"I hear something that sounds like a guitar." Sakura said, as her and the other Kunoichi of the Konoha 12 were hanging with each other. They jumped to the roof of some houses, and saw the screen for Guitar Hero II showing two people going head-to-head.

There were little things that looked like buttons going across the screen, and when they got one correct, a small flame appeared. So far, the buttons appeared in a quick pattern, and both people playing were hitting them perfectly. This went for another couple of minutes, before the girl's eyes widened. A stream of notes, in no particular fashion, were coming. (This is the bane of my existence. I can barely make it here, and by then I've lost all hope. It is truly nasty.)

Both nin's hands were flashing across the guitar, blurs along the frets. Neither could hold more than seven in a row before they would mess up again. Both then pressed the select button at the same time, which turned the notes blue, and doubled the points they received. This madness lasted for about three minutes, before it returned to a pattern, and the song finished. Koji dropped his guitar, suffering from a bad case of hand cramps. Gale smirked.

Both looked to the score, and Koji's eye twitched. He had one percentage over Gale, but Gale beat him by 200 points. (It's happened before. There will be times I have a higher percentage, but my brother got a higher score) "Oh **COME ON!!!**" Koji screamed, irritation laced in his words.

"You are pretty good, Koji. But I am better." Gale said. "That isn't right!! I had a higher percentage!! I hit more notes!!" Koji complained. "But I chained more notes together at better timings. That's all." Gale said. Koji sighed, and shook hands, admitting defeat.

Shinji saw the whole battle in amusement. (Hard to believe that Koji would have the power to stop an organization from taking over the continent by himself.) Shinji thought to himself. He sighed, and walked off. (Something isn't right though. Why would they want such a carefree idiot killed? He isn't going out of his way to stop them.) Shinji thought to himself.

"You shouldn't observe stuff from the shadows. If you have a question, just ask him." Shinji looked to his right to see Sanosuke there. "You again?" Shinji asked. "Koji's a weird kid. He acts like he's your biggest rival at one point, then at another, he acts like you're his best friend." Sanosuke said. Shinji merely glanced at him from the side. "If you have a problem, me and Koji would be more than willing to help." Sanosuke said, walking away.

"Funny. Not so long ago you threatened my life when you found out I was hired to kill Koji." Shinji said. "I meant it. If it should come to that, I will fight. But something tells me that you will make the right decision." Sanosuke said, walking away. Shinji stood where he was, contemplating his words. (The right decision? I hope it isn't a matter of making it, but a matter of going through with it.) Shinji thought to himself.

_(Hotel)_

Koji and Gale wandered through the hotel, contemplating what to do next, before Koji cursed to himself. "Something wrong?" Gale asked. "This whole day messed up my super kick ass plan to get Sasuke and Tenten together!!" Koji wailed.

"You mean the panda girl and the Uchiha?" Gale asked, both of them unknowingly were near where the girls were. "Yeah! I'm sure old Chicken Butt would feel a hell of a lot better if someone were to play his better half." Koji said. "I don't think it's a good idea. Last I checked, the other Konoha nin's were sort of skeptical about him." Gale said.

"I won't blame him. He merely made the wrong choice. Everyone makes mistakes." Koji said. "I guess." Gale said. "Besides, he didn't do anything against Konoha while he was in Sound, from what Naruto told me." Koji said. Gale nodded.

Gaara did say that Sound hasn't been active for a while, and Uchiha hadn't done anything other than get stronger. "Besides, Sasuke told me she looked pretty damn good. He bets without her buns up, she would be even prettier." Koji said, as they began walking again. Both nin turned the corner, as Koji smirked.

"You planned that out, didn't you?" Gale asked. "The seeds have been sown. Now the only thing I have to do is make them grow." Koji said, heading for wherever Sasuke was. Now that the seeds were sown in Tenten, time to sew them for Sasuke.

_(With the girls)_

The girls were listening in on what Koji and Gale were talking about, which explained the reason Tenten was currently turning bright red. They all glanced to Tenten, who averted her gaze. "What?' Tenten asked.

_(Naruto and Sasuke's Room)_

Sasuke was currently in his room playing blackjack with Naruto before Koji and Gale walked in, looking bored. "You both look bored." Naruto said. Koji smirked. "I got a game, but it's only for true men." Koji said, as he felt the girls contemplating on coming to Sasuke and Naruto's room.

"Anyone up for a game of Strip Poker? Unless, of course, someone in here is gay?" Koji said, glancing towards both Sasuke and Gale. Both nin glared at the implication, and smirked. "Let's play." Sasuke said, smirking. Everyone formed a circle, and Gale shuffled the cards. "Let's hope you guys have a ton of luck!" Koji said, smirking.

_(Outside the room)_

"You shouldn't let anything Koji say get to you. He probably wasn't being serious." Sakura said. "If he jokes like this, why do you hang out with him?" Ino asked. "I don't hang out with him!" Sakura screamed, blushing. "Of course. She flirts openly with him, and they both want each other." Ino said, and Sakura glared, and blushed at the same time. "That's a yes." Tenten said, and Sakura groaned.

"I do NOT flirt with him!!" Sakura screamed. They were outside the door, before they could hear the conversations inside the room. "Hey, Sasuke. What do you think about Tenten?" "Who?" The girls all face planted. "Don't joke like that, teme!! You're avoiding the question!!" "So? My views on a person are none of your damn business." "That's your problem, Chicken Ass!! You need to open up more. You would have a girlfriend if you weren't so distant!" "I'm distant because I don't want anyone to be involved in my problems!!"

All conversation stopped.

"What?" "If Orochimaru, or Itachi for that matter, were to find out I'm involved with someone, they wouldn't waste one moment in using that person against me. That's why I'm distant. Until those two people are dead, then maybe things will change." "That's noble and all, dude, but you MUST have years of pent up sexual frustration that you can use to work on the Uchiha Revival Mission!!"

A loud whap, and a vase breaking was heard.

"That was a very ignorant statement, dumbass." "Shut it, Windbag!!" "So teme, if you had to choose someone, who would you choose?" "…" "That's obvious, Naruto! He would choose someone who wasn't a fangirl in the past, or Sakura, since she is a sister in his eyes." "So, Hinata or Tenten?" "No, just Tenten." "Why only Tenten!?" "Because Hinata likes someone else, dobe." "Who?" "You'll find out sooner or later. FULL HOUSE!!!" "Bastard."

The conversation had ended, and the girls were quiet. They then decided to open the door, to see what the boys were doing. They knocked, and heard a sigh.

"I bet it's those girls that flirted with Teme earlier. Man they are persistent." "And they were hot, unlike the Amazon." "What about Sakura-chan's rack?" "It's huge and all, but she's violent! For all I know, she's a man with huge boobs." The boys in the room turned to the door, as Sakura busted it down.

The girls all had O.O looks. Sasuke and Naruto were without their shirts. Hell, Naruto was down to his boxers. Gale had lost his sandals, and Koji was missing his overshirt and necklace. "Ah ladies! You are in time for a game." Koji said.

"What's the game?" Ino asked, as Sakura was red with anger, Tenten was blushing while keeping her view away from Sasuke, and Hinata was passed out on the ground. "It's called Strip Poker! Of course, we would love it if you ladies joined us…" Koji said, giving Ino a seductive look. Ino blushed a little, and Sakura growled irritably. "Amazon can join as well, I guess." Koji said less enthusiastically.

"You find Ino more attractive or something?" Sakura asked, in a menacing way. "What? You want me to see you in that light?" Koji asked, smirking. (Got her!) Everyone thought at the same time. Sakura blushed fiercely, and Koji's smirk increased. "What, you want me to?" Koji asked, standing to his feet. "So, you want me to look at you as though I want you to be mine?" Koji asked, walking towards Sakura, who was turning redder and redder.

"You want me to give in to this 'sexual tension' that's hanging over us?" Koji asked, as he rested his head on her shoulder. "Would you like that?" Koji asked quietly. Sakura's blush was turning crimson, so she resorted to what helped her relieve embarrasement: violence.

_(Outside, 5 minutes later)_

"I don't see why she gave me a black eye." Koji said, as Naruto chuckled and Sasuke smirked. "You know when to push, but yet you don't." Sasuke said, smirking. "She hit me, dead in the eye, and then she kneed me in the gut! Jeez, that hurt like hell!!" Koji complained.

"Sakura is a fragile person. Things like love aren't easy for her to deal with." Naruto said. "And you are a genius when it comes to women." Koji said sarcastically, and Sasuke chuckled. "He has you there, Naruto." Sasuke said. "How so?" Naruto asked. "Hinata."

Flashback:

The boys watched with sick fascination as Koji was thrashed by Sakura, for something that wasn't entirely his fault. The girls left when Sakura stepped out, muttering to herself frantically while blushing. Oddly enough, Koji landed next to Hinata, who was slowly coming too. "Gah!! Hinata-chan has been on the ground this whole time!?" Naruto asked, and all the boys sweat dropped.

5 minutes later Hinata groaned, and opened her eyes, and saw a half-naked Naruto in his boxers, hovering over her. Hinata turned some kind of red, before blood gushed out of her nose, and she passed out. "No!! HInata passed out again!! I think I broke her!!!!" Naruto screamed, panicking. Sasuke and Gale sweat dropped, and Koji gave him a white eyed stare. "You're kidding right? You can't be seriously dense, can you?" Koji asked Naruto. "Why would she pass out!? Do you guys know!?" Naruto screamed. "No. We don't…" Sasuke said. (This kid is incredibly stupid. Getting him and Hinata together will take a miracle of some sort…) Koji thought to himself, shaking his head in pity.

End.

The three walked, before Koji stopped, a serious look on his face. "Hey guys. I'll catch up." Koji said. Naruto and Sasuke looked at him weirdly, before they walked away. "Come out." Koji said. In front of him, appeared a man in the Association Robes.

"You bastards again!?" Koji asked. "Not any Association member, young Koji. The head." He lowered his hood, to reveal a pair of silver and gold eyes and long black hair. "You are?" Koji asked, as he reached for his Chakra Staff.

"The name is Xin. I'm the leader of the Association 15." Xin said. "Nice to know. I don't have time to deal with you freaks now." Koji said, as Xin began to smirk. "Rather hang out with your girlfriend?" Xin asked, and Koji's look turned dark. "Leave her, and the others out of my problem!" Koji said, a serious look on his face.

"Oh really? And what will you do if I don't?" Xin asked, sneering. Xin's sneer widened when he got Koji to actually scowl at him. "Because, I will personally lop your balls off, and shove them down your throat!" Koji said, and Xin's sneer turned to a neutral expression. "Little kids shouldn't make threats they can't keep." Xin said.

"And you shouldn't piss me off. I can't say it's good for your health." Koji said, and Xin smirked. "Bold words, Chosen. But don't worry. You'll meet your death very soon." Xin said, stepping in his portal. (He's right. If we fight, I can't say both of us will walk out of it alive. Having bonds with these people isn't good.) Koji thought to himself, looking at the sky.

(Newly formed bonds are the hardest to break. Maybe being away from Konoha on my journey will get the people to forget me…) Koji thought to himself, sighing. "Man, I sound like Sasuke, all angsty and shit." Koji mumbled to himself, smiling wistfully. "But Sasuke came out of the darkness." Koji turned around, and saw Sai walking towards him. "How long were you here?" Koji asked.

"Long enough to see you moping." Sai said. "Hn." Koji replied. "You aren't alone. You have all sorts of people ready to help you. Don't run away from those bonds." Sai said. "Normally I wouldn't, but once everything is said and done, I won't be in this world anymore." Koji said. "And that's a bridge we all will have to cross eventually. For now, you have a Jounin Exam to take." Sai said, and Koji smirked.

"You shouldn't talk. What, you already Jounin or something?" Koji joked. "Actually, I'm ANBU." Sai said. "THE HELL!?!? ANBU!?!?!?" Koji screamed, as Sai smirked a real smirk. "I outrank you." Sai said. "THAT'S BULLSHIT!!!!!" Koji screamed to the heavens.

_(The next day)_

It's time. The Semi-Finals of the Jounin Exams. The Final 4 fighters were the four strongest here. Two of the students of the Konoha Sannin, a student of a Kumo Sannin, and a boy no one has ever heard of. These four would be the shining light of the Jounin Exams, and it was time to crown a champion.

Sasuke, Naruto, Koji, and Shinji entered the arena, as the crowd went wild. Koji smirked, he was ready for a battle. Sasuke and Naruto sent looks towards each other, hoping they could settle a rivalry that's held for years. Shinji glanced at all three.

He felt outclassed. These guys had training from people who could be Kage level. He had natural skill, nothing more. That and his eyes. But Sasuke had special eyes as well.

"And now, we have the Semi-Finals of the Jounin Exams! I, Baki, will be overseeing the last three fights of the exams. Today, we will have the two strongest nin called forth, and allow those two to battle tommorow. Today, we have the first fight!" Baki said, as the board lit up. When it stopped, Naruto screamed in anger, and Koji sighed.

"Looks like we sit Naruto." Koji said, as they both walk towards the waiting area. Shinji vs. Sasuke Uchiha.

**ShadowRonin: So the Semi-Finals begin. Sasuke and Shinji are first, and this promises to be some kind of fight. Both are powerful nin, and have mastered their moves perfectly. Who will pull ahead? The Snake Apprentice, or the Mist Demon? Find out!!**

**Next Chapter: Both are powerful beyond comparison. Both have an element to call upon. Both have eyes that are special. Both are the last of their clans. Shinji of the Bloody Mist, vs. Sasuke, the traitor of Konoha. Who will pull out victorious, and who will lose? Find out on:**

**Chapter 25: The Snake vs. The Wave!! Demon Eyes vs. Copy Wheel Eye!!**


	25. Snake vs Wave

**Yo!! Sorry about taking so long to update. College Applications have begun to take up a nice chunk of my free time, and I am pressed with stuff to do. I'll try to update no later than once every two weeks, but it will be a little pressed. Well, read, and enjoy.**

Chapter 25: The Snake vs. The Wave!! Demon Eyes vs. Copy Wheel Eye!!

Shinji knew he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The rock: The fact that Sasuke was trained by a Sannin, meaning his jutsu arsenal is out there. The Hard Place: Sasuke's eyes could probably cancel out the power of his eyes. Shinji shrugged. He was known to wing it when he needed to. So he would do just that. Wing it.

Sasuke and Shinji stood across from each other, both looking at the other cautiously. Both had an element at their beck and call, and both had eye powers that could kill.

"So, it's the other half of the Mist Trio that wants Koji dead." Sasuke said, emotionlessly. "And I see it's the one who stopped Haku-san. I don't think I can play around with you." Shinji said, adjusting his glasses. "You should hope _I_ don't play with you." Sasuke said, and Shinji smirked.

"I see. You are not someone to jerk around. I won't hold anything back." Shinji said, creating a Water Katana using 1/10 of a water bottle. Sasuke slid his Kusanagi from behind him, and held it in front of him.

"Prepare yourself, Sasuke Uchiha. I may not stand a chance, but you won't beat me easily." Shinji said, as he placed his katana on his shoulder. "Good." Sasuke said, and both nin disappeared from sight. No one could see them, but the sound of steel clashing was heard throughout the arena.

Everyone was straining to see what was happening, and the civilians looked to Koji and Naruto. They were surprised that the two idiot nin had serious looks on their faces, as they were moving their heads like they were following something.

"Seems like the two idiots are taking this seriously." Kakashi said. "What do you mean Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked. "Look." Kakashi pointed to Naruto and Koji, whose gazes never left the two nin flashing across the arena. Then, there was a bright flash, and it became apparent who was following who. Naruto was trailing Sasuke, while Koji's gaze was on Shinji.

Both nin shot to opposite sides of the arena, and Sasuke made seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!!" Sasuke said, launching his fireball of death. Shinji jumped out of the way, and pulled out a couple of water bottles. "Water Style: Water Dome Jutsu!!" Shinji said, tossing the bottles. The water in them shattered the bottles, and a dome appeared in the corner of the arena.

"Now, Sasuke Uchiha. Let's play **MY** game!" Shinji said, as he created more hand seals. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!!" Shinji said, and some of his Water Dome turned into a dragon, which growled and glared at Sasuke, charging the Uchiha. Sasuke managed to avoid the attack, but the wall was shattered.

Sasuke jumped away, and activated his Sharingan. Shinji saw his Sharingan Eyes, and smirked. (So, he's stepping his game up.) Shinji thought to himself. He jumped away, and began making hand seals. "Water Style: Water Missile Jutsu!" Shinji said, and the dome shot out a missile of water.

Sasuke was hit, and water exploded, as Sasuke turned into a log. Shinji cursed, as he saw Sasuke coming at him with the Kusanagi. Shinji jumped away, and landed on the dome. He jumped away again when Sasuke shot electricity from his hands.

(He can shoot lightning as well? That changes the game.) Shinji thought to himself, as he charged with his katana. He swung, but wasn't expecting Sasuke to grab his arm. He then felt an electric jolt, as Sasuke activated his Chidori Current around his body. Shinji flew back from the volts, and made some hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Pulse Jutsu!" Shinji said, launching a pulse of water at Sasuke. The ring of water hit Sasuke, and he was shocked by the water. "What?" Naruto said. "You know that water conducts electricity?" Koji asked, and Naruto got it. "I see. Sasuke's attack surrounded him by electricity. If water hits him, it will zap him." Naruto said.

Sasuke fell to the ground, singed. The water had short circuited his current, and he was still wet, which meant no Chidori anything until he dries off. Sasuke stood to his feet, and leveled a glare at Shinji, whose eyes had turned from their usual Dark Blue to Bright Red.

Bright Red Demon Eyes stared at Crimson Sharingan Eyes. Shinji smirked viciously, but became sort of cautious when Sasuke continued his stare, as though nothing was happening. He smirked as his dome came to life, and surrounded Sasuke.

"To bad for you, little Uchiha. My powers can't be stopped." Shinji said. He was a little concerned when Sasuke didn't even look like he was drowning. In fact, he began to smirk. "Now I truly see what you are." Sasuke said, and Shinji began to get a little worried.

"What do you mean Uchiha?" Shinji asked. "You are a part of that Hikari Clan father would mention." Sasuke said, and Shinji glared at him. "What the hell do you know about my family!?" Shinji asked, glaring outright.

"The Hikari's were an extension of the Uchiha Clan. A relative, my aunt, had a marriage to some Jounin from the Mist Village. Sadly, they were killed during the Kekkei Genkai War, so they were wiped out. Those eyes, they were never documented, though the name you gave them is quite interesting." Sasuke said, as his eyes began to spin.

"So, in a way, we are…" Shinji started. "Cousins." Sasuke said, as Shinji's eyes fell to the ground. "And my eyes…" Shinji muttered. "Are a Clan Dojutsu of their own. Your eyes instill a very real looking Genjutsu that the opponent doesn't even know they are in. But because it is so strong, the user can't maintain it for long periods of time." Sasuke said.

"And your eyes?" Shinji asked. "Work in ways yours will never understand." Sasuke said, as he began to power his chakra. "Our lives are in some ways the same and different. Both of us lost our families. I have someone to blame, while the shock caused you to lose your memories about them. You lived contently in ignorance, while I followed the path towards darkness." Sasuke said, as he began to be enveloped in the Curse Mark.

"I spent two and a half years in nothing but training to kill a certain someone." Sasuke said, as the marks covered his body. "What's this? This power…it isn't…normal…" Shinji said, scared a little. "You're right. This power isn't normal. It's the power of the Curse Mark." Sasuke said, as his wings shot out, and he attained the Curse Mark: Level 2.

Shinji actually flinched from the sheer power he exhuded, and Sasuke smirked. "You see the power you would have been forced to go against?" Sasuke asked, as Shinji looked really confused. "Would have?" Shinji asked. "See, all it took was 5 minutes to see what I wanted you to see." Sasuke said, as Shinji felt a weird whoosing feeling.

He regained his sense of direction, and realized his chakra was not there. "The powers of the Sharingan fools with the mind. While I was in your mind, I forced your body to expel chakra to the point where you wouldn't be able to fight." Sasuke said, as Shinji sighed.

"I see. It looks like I never stood a chance against another Dojutsu user." Shinji said. "I suppose not." Sasuke said. Shinji raised his hand, and surrendered. "Winner, Sasuke Uchiha." Baki said, and everyone cheered. Sasuke walked over to where his friends were, while Shinji left the stadium.

Shinji walked for a while, before he sighed. "I know you three are there." He turned around, and was met with Blade, T.K, and Sidestep. "Hm. Some of Xin's lackeys. What do you wish with me?" Shinji asked. "We aren't lackies. We are actual members of the Association." Blade said, and Shinji shrugged.

"I could care less. You freaks don't sit well with me, and once this mission is over, I won't have any need to associate with any of you anymore." Shinji said, walking away. "You shouldn't be so sure that we may not need your services again." Sidestep said.

"If you do, that's your issue. I wouldn't work for you guys again even if my life was at risk." Shinji said. "Interesting choice of words." Blade said, as the three left using the dark portals.

_(Inside the Arena)_

Sasuke walked and sat near Kakashi. **"HEY SASUKE!! STOP TRYING TO BE DISTANT AND SIT NEAR TENTEN!!!"** Koji screamed, and Sasuke actually had the nerve to bother listening to him. Tenten's face burned up, and Sasuke shrugged. **"500 YEN SAYS YOU ARE TOO SCARED OF HER TO DO IT!!!"** Koji screamed again, and Sasuke glared at him, standing up.

He walked over to where Tenten was, and glanced towards Lee. "Is it okay if I sit there?" Sasuke asked. **"YOSH!!!** It is time for the young Uchiha to realized the power of his youth!!" Lee said, as he began to ramble.

Sasuke growled in irritation, and Neji calmy stood up, and sat near Team 8. Sasuke thanked him without actually saying it (merely a nod in Neji's direction, and Neji understood him) and sat next to Tenten, who was trying her best to act calm.

"So…what brings you here Sasuke?" Tenten asked, trying to start a conversation. "Friends, if that's what I can call them." Sasuke replied, and shrugged.

_(Outside the Arena)_

Shinji began to head near the hotel, before he looked behind him. "Okay, come out. I know you're there." Shinji said, and from the shadows appeared Itachi and Deidara. "Akatsuki? Why are you here?" Shinji asked. "So, the one without his memory knows of us?" Itachi said.

"Yeah. The infamous Itachi Uchiha, and Deidara of the Explosion Clay." Shinji said. "You know us, yet you aren't at all frightened?" Deidara asked. "You have no reason to fight me, as I have no reason to fight you. Besides, if it came to blows, I know I would die." Shinji said.

"You're pretty smart, yeah." Deidara said. "So, what brings Akatsuki here?" Shinji asked. "It is none of your concern." Itachi said. "Hn. You are right. It isn't my concern." Shinji said, as he turned to walk away. "You'd show your back to us?" Deidara asked.

"I have no reason to worry. You won't waste your time on a Jounin hopeful like me. Your targets are stronger, like Kakashi, or Orochimaru." Shinji said, as he disappeared from their view. "Seems pretty full of himself, yeah." Deidara said. "We have bigger fish to deal with. Those three he were chatting with earlier are the ones I have a problem with." Itachi said.

"Huh?" Deidara replied, his tone showing his confusion. "The silent one. He didn't show it, but his strength could easily match mine." Itachi said, as Deidara's eye widened. "Woah! For real?" Deidara asked. "Do I ever joke around?" Itachi asked.

_(Inside the Arena)_

Koji and Naruto were amused watching Sasuke try not to show his curiosity towards the Weapon Mistress. He looked like he had a question to ask, but was wondering if it was any of his business.

"You weren't a part of those obsessed girls that followed me. Why is that?" Sasuke asked. "Outside of your pretty face, you come off as a cold arrogant jerk." Tenten said, and Sasuke shrugged. "I guess." Sasuke said. He won't lie. He knows he comes off as a cold arrogant jerk.

"Odd how it doesn't stop the fangirls. But it can't be helped. I'm cursed around people." Sasuke said, and Tenten gave him confused looks. "Quite recently, the only glances I get are lustful looks (fangirls) or glares of distrust." (General Ninjas) Sasuke said. Tenten thought about it, and realized that no one really cared much for Sasuke.

"Don't get me wrong. I have a _few _ friends." Sasuke said, and Tenten had to think. "Anyone outside of Team 7?" Tenten asked, and Sasuke merely shook his head. Tenten could feel a small amount of pity for the boy. He had only 3 friends. "It must be hard." Tenten said. "Hn?" Sasuke replied. "It must be hard having only 3 people to truly rely on during rough times." Tenten said.

"It wouldn't matter. That's only three people to worry about when I go off to kill Itachi." Sasuke said, and Tenten looked at him. "You shouldn't distance yourself on purpose." Tenten said. "I prefer it that way. Should I die fighting Itachi, that would be less people who are sad." Sasuke said, and Tenten gave him a pitied look.

"Don't show pity, I don't need it." Sasuke said, and Tenten glared. "I wasn't showing pity. I think it's sad that you view your life so carelessly." Tenten said, and Sasuke gave her a side glance. "You shouldn't view your friends in such a low light." Tenten said, and Sasuke shrugged.

"I don't." Sasuke said, and they could tell the conversation was over. (What does that mean?) Tenten thought to herself.

_(With Shinji)_

"So, you lost to that brat as well?" Zabuza asked, as Shinji appeared in front of him. "It couldn't be helped. His Dojutsu is better than mine." Shinji said. "Hn. Two people with powerful Kekkei Genkai, and a Kiri Rogue Nin. We should theoretically be able to complete this easily." Zabuza said.

"Sadly our target is incredibly powerful, has an ally who is very analytical, one with a Kekkei Genkai, another with some sort of weird chakra, and the Copy Cat nin." Shinji said. "I've done some crazy things in the past." Zabuza said. "So what's our chances?" Shinji asked. "Miserably slim." Haku said. "Those are odds I like." Shinji said.

_(The Arena)_

With the arena fixed, it was time for the second fight. Both nin smirked at each other. "Ready to see who's stronger?" Naruto asked, and Koji smirked. "Time to find out." They both stood at the same time, and walked to the arena. As they walked, Naruto clenched and unclenched his fists, while Koji tied his hair back with his dark blue bandana.

(This is it. Time to face the one who decides if I'm the strongest.) Both thought at the same time. They jumped the rail, and landed across from each other, smirks of overconfidence on both their faces.

"Who do you bet on?" Kakashi asked. "I don't know. Both look strong." Sakura said. "Who do you want to win?" Kakashi asked, and Sakura glanced at the ground.

"Koji is totally going to kick Naruto's ass!" Kiba screamed, and Hinata gave him a look. "Kiba-kun!" "He only says that because he is confident that Koji can beat someone like Naruto. I have no clue how this will play out." Shino said, and Hinata smiled. "Hn." Neji just had to add his two cents.

"I believe in the youth that Naruto possesses!" Lee screamed, as Tenten sighed at her friends behaviour. "Naruto won't lose to him." Tenten said. "He better not." Tenten and Lee looked over to Sasuke, who was smirking. "I'm the only one allowed to show that loser who's stronger."

**ShadowRonin: Yeah. It's time. Naruto and Koji take each other on, and it will be a fight for the ages. Both are quite head strong, don't know when to quit, and powerful. Trained by Sannin each, both will put up a show that no one will forget, and it is advised you see this fight.**

**Next Chapter: Konoha's Number 1 Surprising Ninja faces The Shadow Blade's Number 1 Pull 'em from his Ass Ninja. Both are strong, and contain inner powers that aren't normal. But now, it's time to decide a stronger. Time for the Anime/Manga namesake to take on the Main OC. Time for:**

**Chapter 26: The Fox vs. The Storm!! RasenShuriken vs. Lightning Wolf Fang!!!**


	26. Storm vs Fox

**Yo!! Two Titans of the Ficdom come together, to prove who is the superior. The Anime/Manga Namesake takes on the main OC of the fic, in a battle that will rock your minds, and test both nin's power once and for all.**

**Side note: A friend of mine dropped me a well thought out review, so I'm going to try to implement a couple of new things. It's a slow start, but it should make my story all the better. So thanks to him.**

Chapter 26: The Fox vs. The Storm!! RasenShuriken vs. Lightning Wolf Fang!!!

It was time. Two idiot nin were to meet. Koji Hyosuke vs. Naruto Uzumaki. Both were across from each other. Baki stood out of the way. Both nin would start when they were ready. "You know, besides Sasuke, you seem to be the strongest one here." Naruto said. "Nah. Sasuke is probably stronger, but I won't know until I face him." Koji said.

"You think you can win?" Naruto asked. "I don't think. I know!" Koji said, as he slid into the Tiger Fist Stance.

"At least give me a challenge." Naruto said. "Funny. Those were my words." Koji said, as Naruto got into a basic Taijutsu Stance. "Ready?" Koji asked. "Set?" Naruto said. **"GO!!!"** They both screamed, and charged at each other.

Naruto brought his hands into his favorite seal, as Koji slid to a stop. "Shadow Clone Ju-" "Lightning Gun Jutsu!!" Koji brought a finger up, and launched his Lightning Gun at Naruto, who jumped to avoid the attack.

"Now! Shadow Clone Jutsu!!" Naruto screamed, and 20 Narutos landed to surround Koji. Koji got into his stance, as the Narutos charged. He slid around, and caught one of them in the jaw, causing it to poof away. He spun around, and tripped a clone, and backflipped to strike another one in the jaw. After the flip, he thrusted his hand in a palm thrust, and struck another in the jaw. That Naruto flew into two more, and they poofed away. Koji turned, and sweep kicked another one, and made a few hand seals while spinning.

"Lightning Style: Short Circuit Jutsu!!" He said, and a blast of lightning chakra shot out, hitting 4 clones. After that, he parried a punch, and flipped over the Naruto that tried to punch him. He landed on the ground, and did a forward flip to heel kick the Naruto. Instead of landing on his feet, he landed on his stomach, and used his hands to hold his body up as he let his legs sweep under him, tripping a Naruto Clone. Koji used that momentum to spin on his hands and helicopter kick 5 more. After that spin, he spun some more, and did a roundhouse kick. He landed, spinning a little, and stopped in his stance, smirking at Naruto, who smirked.

"Seems like you got some good Taijutsu." Naruto said, and Koji's smirk widened. "Funny thing. The Tiger Fist that I know is merely the basics." Koji said, and Naruto's eyes widened.

"He's only gone so far as the basics?" Nekobe asked, and Shiro nodded slowly. "Sadly. The boy is too stupid to remember everything, and only got a solid grasp of the basics of the Tiger Fist." Shiro said.

"But if he is so bad at Tiger Fist, how has he gotten this far?" Nekobe asked. "His knowing of Tiger Fist is merely so he can use some form of Taijutsu. His specialty is Ninjutsu." Shiro said.

"Then why try to teach him Tiger Fist?" Nekobe asked. "He chose to only learn the basics. Said that's all he needed." Shiro said.

"I see." Nekobe said. "So why would he only want to know the basics?" Nekobe asked. "Because the basics is going to be changed for his personal use." Shiro said, watching the fight.

Koji charged Naruto, as he was making hand seals. "Lightning Style: Spark Wave Jutsu!!" Koji said, as a ball of lightning shot towards Naruto, who managed to get out of the way. He used the wall to jump into the air, and made the seals for the Summoning Jutsu. "Summoning Jutsu: Bringing Down The House!!" Naruto pressed his hand into the ground, and an orange frog fell from the sky, and Koji sweat dropped.

"**THE HELL!?!?"** Was all Koji could scream before the giant frog of death slammed into him. Naruto smirked, as the frog disappeared, only for him to have fallen onto nothing. "What the hell!? Where's the imprint of-" "Summoning Earth Style: Fang Pursuit Jutsu!!" 5 summoned dogs shot from the ground, clamping onto Naruto's arms and legs, as the fifth one placed it's forelegs on Naruto's shoulders.

It howled, and clamped it's fangs into Naruto's shoulders. Naruto yelled in pain, and Koji smirked. "Give in Naruto. My dogs will take another part of your arm off if you don't-"

"Rasengan!!!" Koji turned around, as the blue swirling sphere hit him dead in the gut, sending him flying into the wall, spinning.

(What!? That can't be!) Koji's mind was working, but his body was down for the count. "Ha! Shadow Clone fooled you!" Naruto said, as the clone caught in the dogs disappeared, and the real Naruto appeared.

Koji groaned, as his summons stood in front of him, growling at Naruto. "Oi, pup. You okay?" The larger one asked.

"I'm fine Riley." Koji said, as he stood in the middle of the summons. "Let's try something different. Riley, tell Spot and Slash to follow my lead. Yami, get down here, so we can do our thing! Hikari, Frost, you know what to do!" Koji commanded, and the dogs smirked in a dog like way.

Summons description: Riley: A giant Golden Retreiver. Leader of the Fang 5. Wears a dark blue bandana, and a chain with a three headed dog around his neck.

Spot: A Dalmation. Looks like he was trained for racing, due to his build, and speed. Wears a black bandana, and a chain with the three headed dog around his right foreleg.

Slash: A grey Bulldog. The Brawn. A little smaller than Riley, but more dog muscle. Wears a white bandana, and the chain around his left foreleg.

Frost: A Husky. Seems like he is the serious, calculative type. Wears a dark green bandana and the chain around his right hindleg.

Hikari: A White Wolf-like dog. Wildest of the 5. Never serious, and always looking to have fun. Wears a red bandana, and the chain around his left hindleg.

Yami landed next to Koji, and Koji formed a seal. "Secret Art of a Boy and His Dog!!!" Koji said, as Yami transformed into a human. She looked a little busty, and wore the exact same clothes Koji had on. Her hair was black and came down to her back.

"Let's rock!!" Hikari screamed, as Hikari and Frost charged Naruto. Hikari jumped into the air, as Frost ran straight at Naruto. Naruto dodged the head on attack, and ducked under the aerial attack, but he couldn't dodge the oncoming assault from Riley, Spot, and Slash.

"Now! Puppy Catapult!!" Riley commanded, as Spot stood on Slash's back. "Aim: FIRE!!!" Riley threw his paw down, and Spot was launched at Naruto, who couldn't dodge the attack. (Where the hell did that attack come from!?) Naruto screamed in his mind as Spot latched himself onto Naruto's arm, and Riley nodded.

"Now Slash! Prepare to charge!" Riley commanded, and Slash nodded, getting in a ready position. "Ready!" Naruto was about to move, but Frost and Hikari latched onto his legs, and held him there. (No!!) Naruto panicked. "CHARGE!!!" Riley screamed, and Slash took off.

"Charge of the Bite Brigade!!" Slash yelled as his battle cry, and rammed into Naruto, who flew into the wall. "Heads up!!" The dogs jumped out of the way, as Koji sped past them, lightning charged in his right hand. "Here it is! Piercing Lightning Claw!!" Koji yelled as he ran his hand forward. Naruto managed to grab his hand and rediret it into the wall, before tossing him aside.

Koji rolled on the ground, and got to his feet. **"NOW!!!"** From the sky, Yami fell, smirking.

"Hyosuke Style Taijutsu:" Naruto looked up, as chakra claws came from Yami's hands. "What!? When did she get there!?" Naruto said, and Yami landed across from him in a flash.

"Wolf Fang Fist." Yami said, as 2 sets of slash marks appeared across his chest. He fell to his knees, and groaned in pain. "You quit Naruto?" Koji asked.

"In your dreams." Naruto said, as the cuts on his chest healed. (The hell? He knows a Self-Regeneration Jutsu?) Koji thought to himself, as that would make things more annoying. "Yami, let's jet!" Koji said, as he and Yami charged at Naruto, who jumped to his feet.

"All I need is one good shot!" Koji said, and Yami nodded, as she slashed at Naruto. For a two-on-one assault, Naruto managed to dodge their combined attacks quite well. (These two. They work together so well. Like Kiba and Akamaru. I need to separate them!) Naruto thought to himself, as Koji tried to axe kick him, only to miss.

Naruto blocked a kick from Yami, and tossed her to the side, as Koji charged. Naruto decided to go on the offensive, and tried to punch Koji. Koji slid, rolled the punch harmlessly, and smirked. "Got you!!" Koji said, as he punched Naruto in the chest.

At first, Naruto didn't feel anything, then all of a sudden, his whole body stopped moving, and he was stunned. "What!? What did you do!?" Naruto screamed, and Koji smirked.

"That would be the power of my electric chakra running through your system. Masamune Style Taijutsu mixed with my electric chakra control. All that turns into what I call the Stun Fist!" Koji explained, as the summoned dogs converged around Koji.

"Seems like our time has come to an end, Naruto Uzumaki. I guess the better man won." Koji said, as Yami turned back into her dog form. "Don't fret though. I knew you would be tough. Just thought a little tougher." Koji turned his back, and heard growling noises.

"Something wrong Riley?" Koji asked. "His scent. It reeks of smoke." Riley said. "Smoke? The only thing that creates smoke is Fire Jutsus. Or an exploding…tag…" Koji finished, eyes widening in realization as the Naruto blew up in a fiery inferno that lit up the entire arena.

When the smoke cleared, Naruto was on the ground, covered in dirt. "I got him. I got him good." Naruto muttered, as he slammed his fist in the ground. (But I went to far! He's…he's…) Naruto thought, as tears slowly formed in his eyes.

"Shiro-sama, I don't see Koji's body anywhere." Nekobe said, and Shiro had a dark look in his eyes. "He knew what he was getting into when he took these exams." Shiro merely said.

"Is he…" Kiba muttered, as everyone was silent. "He can't be…" Hinata muttered, as Shino and Neji looked on.

"Kakashi-sensei. Is Koji…" Sakura couldn't bear to finish the sentence, and Kakashi looked to her. "I can't tell." Kakashi said, and it took all of Sakura's will not to burst into tears.

"His youth is gone." Lee said sadly, as Tenten looked remorseful over the boy. She turned to Sasuke, to see him smirking, and shaking his head.

"What the hell, Uchiha!?" Sasuke turned towards Tenten, confusion on his face. "One of the nin we knew as a friend dies, and you SMIRK at him!? I knew it!! You are nothing more than a cold, heartless bastard!! I bet-" Tenten's rant ended when Sasuke glared at her, leaking killing intent and Sharingan blazing fiercely.

"Unlike you people, I believe that he is alive!" Sasuke said in such a dead calm, that Tenten actually looked frightened, and Lee stood ready to defend her. "Sasuke. Stop messing with Tenten." Lee said calmly, but you could hear the somewhat threatening tone he held. "Back off, Fuzz Brows. She has no right to down talk me if she doesn't believe in a friend!" Sasuke said.

"Sad how the prick is the only one who believes I would survive that." In the middle of the arena, blasting out of the ground, appeared Koji, holding Yami.

Naruto stood to his feet, and Koji gave him a serious look. "This fight is too serious for this arena. I can't go all out risking innocent people's lives." Koji said, as he disappeared. He reappeared next to Kiba, and gave him a smile.

"Can you watch her for me?" Kiba smirked, and rested the dog next to him. "So, how much damage did you take?" Sasuke asked smugly, and Koji smirked at him. "More than I would have liked. I fazed into the ground, and avoided the brunt of most of the attack." Koji said, and he glanced at Tenten, seriousness etched on his features.

"Shame, Tenten. I thought you were better than that." Tenten's eyes widened, and Koji closed his. "I figured that since you were cool with someone like Neji, Sasuke would be okay in your books. Seems like you are like the rest." Koji said, and the rest of the Konoha 12 looked to him.

"I won't say the choices he's made are right, but he is still human. I don't know of what he was like before meeting him as he was possessed by Orochimaru, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I figured the rest of you would, but the only thing I noticed was that you viewed him with either hatred or fear. Judgemental Bastards." Koji said the last part with venom.

"People who judge just like that in my mind are bastards." Koji walked back to the arena, leaving a few people with things to think about. "Shiro, set up the screen. Naruto, meet me 10 miles North of the Sand Village." Koji said, as Naruto gave him a neutral look.

"Was it necessary to talk to my friends like that?" Naruto asked. "I believe it was. If the opportunity came again, I would do it all over. People who judge based off someone's actions are only judging by face value. That kind of animosity annoys the hell out of me. Actions always have a reason." Koji said, as Naruto glanced at him quizzically.

"You trust Sasuke?" Naruto asked, slightly disbelieveing. "Of course! He hasn't done anything that has warranted my distrust." Koji said, and Naruto smiled at him. "There aren't many people like you." "I know. One of a kind." They both smirked, and disappeared.

They reappeared 10 miles north of Konoha, and both stood across from each other. "You ready Naruto? I won't hold back anything." Koji said, his eyes closed, and Naruto nodded. "Good. Ready?" Koji asked. "Set?" Naruto continued.

"**GO!!!!"** Both screamed. Koji's eyes shot open, and he went through seals at an alarmingly fast rate.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Jutsu!" Koji said, as a dragon made of lightning formed from the electric chakra Koji had, and roared. (No way! He created that thing? And the seals he used…they were done so quickly.) Naruto thought to himself, as the dragon charged at him. Naruto jumped out of the way, and Koji charged, another Piercing Lightning Claw ready. Naruto summoned a Shadow Clone, and prepared the Rasengan.

When he finished, Koji was 4 steps away, and Naruto thrust his hand forward. The Rasengan clashed with the Piercing Claw, and a dome of white light surrounded them. It lasted for a few seconds, before a giant explosion launched them both back away from each other. Koji recovered the fastest, and made 4 Shadow Clones that appeared at least 10 feet between each clone. Naruto stood up, as the four clones began going through hand seals rapidly.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Jutsu!" "Lightning Style: Spark Wave Jutsu!" "Lightning Style: Short Circuit Jutsu!" "Lightning Style: Lightning Pulse Jutsu!" "Lightning Style: Lightning Gun Jutsu!"

The 5 Koji's launched different lightning moves. Naruto prepared himself as a dragon, a ball of lightning, a blast of lightning, a ring of lightning, and a beam of lightning flew at him. Naruto brought his hands up, as the electric attacks hit him dead on, and a beam of lightning shot to the sky, exploding. Koji stood, as black clouds appeared above the sky.

He wasn't surprised when he felt a droplet of water, and it began to drizzle. He smiled when the rain became more heavy. "The rain. It falls to sizzle someone's fire. Is it his or mine?" Koji muttered in a rare moment of philosophical thought. He looked behind him, to see Naruto standing there, smirking and looking quite beat up.

He exhuded a red chakra, his eyes turned red, and his whiskers looked more dark. "Hn. I guess it's mine. But I won't make it easy." Koji turned, and put his hands into a seal. He yelled a battle cry, as chakra began to fly off him in waves. The sky began to storm, as Koji's chaka pulsed. Then after a few intense seconds, lightning struck Koji, and a bright white light enveloped them, and the screen the people were watching the battle on was white.

When it died down, Koji was standing, power rolling off his body. His hair had a few gold streaks, and his pupils had a gold spot in between the brown of his eyes. "The last stand." Koji said. "One of us falls, and the other wins." Naruto said.

"Ready?" Koji muttered. "Set?" Naruto muttered. "GO!!!" Both screamed, and charged, sand blasting up from the force of them taking off. Both screamed battle cries, as they collided, red meeting gold.

Everyone watching the battle looked on in silent disbelieving awe. Naruto and Koji were running across the dunes, the colors flying off them clashing and smashing into each other, creating explosions every now and then.

This no longer was a battle between two Chuunin looking to be Jounin. This was a battle between two warriors, two super powers.

Two Warlords that would never be matched.

In a quick moment, everyone could see Naruto with the Odama (sp?) Rasengan clashing with what sounded like the 'Plasma Thrust'.

Both attacks created a giant explosion that was coincidentally timed with lightning striking, and they both flew back. They slid for a few seconds, before clashing again, flashing all around the dunes. Everyone noticed they seemed to be moving closer to the arena, and they could feel the raw power both nin were radiating.

Then, the screen was blasted into pieces, as two parts of the wall blasted away. "Rasengan!!" "Lightning Wolf Claw!!" Koji and Naruto were charging towards each other in the middle of the arena. Koji's attack overpowered the Rasengan, and Naruto hit the wall incredibly hard. Koji was hunched over, panting, and Naruto wasn't moving.

"It seems like you reached your point." Koji said. "Not yet!" Naruto's voice rang throughout the arena, and Koji had a cautious air around him. A side of the arena blasted open, and Koji reflexively shot a Lightning Gun Jutsu at it.

"Wrong choice." Koji turned, as Naruto appeared behind him. (When did he get behind me?) Koji thought to himself, as the red giant chakra shuriken rammed into his chest.

"**RASENSHURIKEN!!!"** The attack hit, and then Koji felt it. He felt a lot of blows, and then, a giant tornado formed. After the tornado formed, the power that eminated from the attack could be felt, and then, like that, it disappeared. Koji floated in mid-air for a few seconds, before he fell to the ground with a sickening slam, backfirst.

Everyone was silent. That attack was both fierce and powerful. Koji wasn't moving, but he was alive. (Ng. That hurt like hell. And I can't feel any chakra in my body. What did he do?) Koji thought to himself, as he struggled to move. (Not only has my chakra been cut off, but paralysis is starting to take place in my body.) He analyzed as his hair turned back to it's normal brownish black color.

(I lost. But I'm no quitter.) Naruto looked stunned as Koji slowly stood to his feet. (That's can't be right! That attack dropped Kakuzu. He was Akatsuki! Why isn't he finished!?) Naruto thought to himself. "Heh heh. Seems like I reached my limit. You flipped a bitch witht that last attack." Koji said, as he fell to his knees.

"You win this time Naruto Uzumaki, but next time, I won't lose." Koji muttered, as he fell to his stomach, paralysis finally catching him. Naruto was announced the winner, and Medic Nin came to take Koji away.

"And that concludes this round of the Jounin Exams! The final battle will be held next week!" Baki said, and everyone began to leave the stadium. The Konoha 12 agreed to meet in front of the Inn in 30 minutes to visit Koji.

Koji laid unconscious in the Arena Resting Room, tired, chakraless, and beaten. "Is this really right?" Shinji, Zabuza, and Haku appeared from the shadows when the coast was clear. "Looks like it." Haku replied. "So, this is how we finish it. By killing him when he isn't able to defend himself." Shinji said.

"Hn. Who said I would kill him?" Shinji and Haku looked at Zabuza confused, and he pulled out a scroll. "We are going to most likely die if we complete the mission or not. Since our contractor wants to be an ass like that, I figure we give him some trouble." Zabuza said, as he wrote down the current situation for Koji.

"So, we are allies to him?" Shinji asked. "Yes." Zabuza replied, as they all Body Flicked away.

Koji began to regain consciousness almost 5 minutes after the Mist Trio left. He groaned, and didn't bother to move. He was tired. He felt like crap. He couldn't move a muscle without something aching. "Seems like we still lost." Koji turned his head, and Yami was sitting there, with a dog-like smirk.

"At least the new Combo Jutsu worked. I'm going to need your help." Koji stated, as he read the scroll. "What's the thing say?" Yami asked. "Association 15 is attacking the moment the last round starts. Their only goal is my death." Koji said.

"Then why would they tell you this?" Yami asked. "I guess Shinji was a better friend than I thought." Koji said, chuckling slightly. Things just took a turn for the worst, and next time he saw Shinji, he would hug him for giving him a heads-up about what was to come.

**ShadowRonin: Yeah. I know, people want Naruto and Sasuke to fight each other, but it's not happening yet, at least not this early in my story. Association 15 is making a move, and it's going to get nasty. What will happen? Find out!!**

**Next Chapter: Koji accepts that his time is short. Association 15 is coming for his head, and he is using the last day to have some fun. Stolen undergarments, hanging with the Shadow trio, and bar brawls are all he could ask for. Check it on:**

**Chapter 27: A Week of Rest. Koji Prepares Himself!**


	27. Final Rest!

**Yo!!! Sorry about being gone for so long. Life, School, and Star Ocean: Till the End of Time decided to take a large chunk of my life. But to make matters worse, Finals are coming up, and that means studying. I'll try to update after finals, but I won't make any promises.**

**Side Note: This is here to justify the last chapter, where Naruto used his RasenShuriken. I am aware of the affects of the attack upon Naruto and his opponent, but here's my justification:**

**Naruto: Since he was borrowing some of the Kyuubi's Chakra, it essentially dulled some of the effects. He still aches a ton, and his hand is still in a cast, but the effects weren't as severe as when he faced Kakuzu. He will get chewed out by Tsunade.**

**Koji: Like Naruto, he had tapped into the Lightning Phoenixes chakra. The thing with him losing his ability to use chakra will subside after a while. The Phoenix would be damned if it's host couldn't be a ninja, so the RasenShuriken was repelled a little. Enough to ensure that Koji would use jutsus again.**

**That's that. Now enjoy.**

Chapter 27: A Week of Rest. Koji Prepares Himself! 

"Sigh Guess it can't be helped." Koji said, resting his head on the counter of the bar. It has been 5 days since the last round. He still wore a few bandages, and his chakra wasn't at 100 percent. (It was about 80)

This was the same bar that he started a bar brawl in. (Chapter 19) (Hn. Something big is going to happen, but I REALLY don't want to involve the Leaf or Sand Villages. But with the way the scroll talked about the upcoming battle, they may be dragged into it anyway.) Koji mused to himself.

"Hey, you, boy!" Koji glanced at him. "Yes?" Koji asked. He really wasn't in the mood for dealing with drunkards. "Your chakra. It feels the same as that one guy that was around here." The leader said. "Sorry. Don't know any of you." Koji responded, and they glared at him. "Your chakra signature is the same! Fess up, before we really kick your ass!!" The leader said, and Koji smirked.

He pulled out a small scroll, and pulled out a brush. "Give this to the Kazekage. He'll know what to do." Koji said, as he got off his seat, and smashed his fist into the mouth of one of the antagonizers.

_(Outside: Approaching the Bar)_

The Konoha 12 were walking in town, hanging out. They were debating over if Naruto or Sasuke would win. Both nin wouldn't comment, since they thought they would win.

They all were brought out of their musings as a man slid right by them. Before he could make his way towards who or whatever sent him there, a 2x4 lodged itself into his head, knocking him out with blood squirting out his head like a water fountain. Everyone sweat dropped, and turned to see where the man flew from.

They saw the bar in the distance, and Neji sweat dropped. He made three seals, and activated his Byakugan. Inside the bar, Koji was sitting at the front, sipping what appeared to be Pepsi, as bodies were laid all across the bar, and the place looked tore up. "Idiot." Neji mumbled, and everyone gave him confused looks. "I found the idiot we were looking for."

_(Inside the Bar)_

"Thanks for the drinks." Koji dropped a few bills to pay for his drinks, and turned to leave. "You really believe that this 'Shiro Masamune' will pay for all this?" The bartender asked.

"Of course! I'm like family!" Koji said, a bright smile on his face. He turned, and saw the Konoha 12 giving him a scolding look. "What?" Koji asked. "That's the second bar fight." Neji said, and everyone had O.O looks.

"The second!?" They all screamed, and Koji sweat dropped, while glaring at Neji, who feigned innocence.

_(Across Town)_

Sanosuke walked, annoyed that Koji was no where. The days he was in the hospital were boring because whenever Koji put his mind on something, an adventure was born.

No Koji meant no fun.

Then, as though the gods were issuing him some fun, Koji turned the corner, looking a little beat up. "Another Bar Brawl?" Sanosuke asked. "Always got to stay in fighting form!" Koji replied, and both nin smiled.

"So, what's on todays agenda?" Sanosuke asked. "Something usually finds me." Koji said. They both began to walk, and ran into Zaku, Kin, and Dosu. (Something usually finds him!) Sanosuke thought to himself, smirking inwardly.

"Hey, Zaku-teme!!" Zaku turned, and saw Koji waving. "Is that Koji?" Dosu asked. "Of course. He's the only one with enough balls to call someone a bastard in the open." Zaku said. They walked towards them, and Koji smirked. "You guys got anything to do?" Koji asked.

"What you got in mind?" Dosu asked. "You will see in 5…4….3…..2….1…." **"KOJI HYOSUKE!!!!!"** "Bingo!" Koji said, as he pulled a pink bra out of his pocket. Everyone had O.O looks.

"Where the!? Who the!? How!? THE HELL!?!?!?" Sanosuke looked real confused. "A panty raid?" Zaku asked. "Nope. Took it right from in front of her eyes, while her shirt was on." Koji said, and everyone gave him 'HOW!?' looks. "A ninja never shares his techniques." Koji said, as they felt waves of killing intent coming near them.

"You four never saw me!" Koji said, as he Body Flicked away. All four shook their heads. "Never a dull moment." Sanosuke said. "Yep." Dosu said, shrugging.

_(With Naruto)_

"Koji is really something else." Naruto said. "I still don't' know how he did it." Kiba muttered. "What happened?" Lee was completely oblivious to the entire thing, and Kiba chuckled. "You had to see it!" Kiba said. "It started as the usual argument between them." Naruto started.

Flashback:

"Hey Sakura-chan! See my awesome fight with Koji?" Naruto screamed, and Sakura smiled. "You did awesome Naruto!" Sakura commented. "Thanks for caring that I got my ass kicked Amazon." Koji muttered sarcastically.

"Who said I cared about you?" Sakura replied, giving him a fierce glare. "Sheesh, you can feel the love under all those mean-spirited words." Koji said laced with sarcasm. Sakura turned, and Koji met her glare with a smirk.

"Looking for a fight, Pinky?" Koji taunted. "I could have you screaming for mercy in less than a minute." That was all it took. With a punch filled with pink destructive chakra, Sakura socked the holy hell out of Koji, and he flew through 5 buildings.

"That was harsh." Naruto said, but the glare that Sakura sent him shut him up. "It's okay. I'm alive." Koji relied, limping towards them. (HE LIVED!?!?!) The less stoic members of the Konoha 12 thought, their eyes white. Sakura had hit him dead in the face, with her inhuman strength, and he walked it off.

(IS HE A DEMON!?!?!?) They screamed in their minds. This time, Neji and Sasuke's eyes had turned anime white, and Shino's glasses transformed to dot eyes. "You must be getting weak or something. That wasn't even enough to knock me out." Koji taunted, and Sakura was fuming. Instead of reacting, she turned away, and began to walk.

"Hey Sakura, you should check your chest." There was confusion etched on most everyone's face, but their confusion increased when they saw Neji glancing at Koji, his face pale as chalk. They turned to see what he was looking at, and everyone looked scared as hell.

Koji had a pink lace bra, and was twirling it around his finger. What no one could figure out was how the hell he did it! The only time he was in contact with Sakura was when she punched the hell out of him. But everyone knew what would come next.

And they felt it. A wave of killing intent.

They turned, to see Sakura smiling homicidally, and saw Koji smiling with his eyes closed. "Catch me if you can!!" And with that, he disappeared. Sakura turned her smiling glance to the other Konoha 12, and they all looked a little fearful.

"If I don't have my bra back in 10 minutes, anything with a Konaha Headband is going to DIE!!" Sakura said with such sweetness, that shivers went down their spines, before they took off.

Flashback End.

"Only Koji could pull something like that off." Kiba said. "He keeps life interesting. If only him and Sakura would stop beating around the bush, they would be a pretty nice looking couple." Naruto said. Kiba shrugged, but Lee wasn't okay with this.

"I see. **THEN KOJI SHALL BE MY ETERNAL RIVAL FOR THE AFFECTION OF SAKURA-CHAN!!!"** Lee screamed, as he took off. Kiba and Naruto sighed. "He's way too energetic for me to hang with." Kiba said. "I find him fun to be around!" Naruto replied. (Your freakish stamina allows you to be able to keep up with Lee.) Kiba thought to himself, sighing. (Wonder what kind of training causes that?)

_(Different Bar)_

Koji sat in a bar with Zaku, Kin, Dosu, and Sanosuke. They heard about what he did, and decided to treat him with a few sodas. What Koji didn't know was that they somehow spiked the cola with some sake that couldn't be tasted, and waited to see how many cups it took to down the powerful nin.

After the sixth cup of cola-sake, Koji was beginning to lose himself. At cup 10, he was plastered. (Since it wasn't trackable, it took longer to get inebriated.) "Hey guys! How long have the walls here been white!?" Koji asked, laughing outloud.

Yep, he was drunk off his ass.

"They aren't white dude. They are grey." Sanosuke said. "Hey guys! Did you know I stole Sakura-chan's bra from under her nose? It's funny, because boobs ARE under the nose! **HA HA HA!!!**" Koji's head then hit the table, and Dosu chuckled.

"Looks like he's had enough." Dosu said. "Hold on! I want to try something!" Zaku said. "Hey Koji. When did Sakura become Sakura-chan?" Sanosuke asked, knowing what Zaku was about to do. "She became Sakura-chan when I realized that having her around isn't so bad, and I wondered if she was a virgin!" Everyone looked at him with O.O looks.

"What?" Zaku asked. "I hope to be the one to steal the small amount of innocence she has left!" Now they got it. Koji became a Happy Honest Drunk. "So, what do you think of the other girls?" Zaku asked, smirking.

"Kin is like a little sister, but I have noticed the lusty looks Sano gives her!" Sanosuke turned crimson, and coughed nervously, while Kin turned crimson as well, and ran her head into the bar table.

"Hinata is finally coming out of her shell, and I plan on getting her and Naruto together!" Sanosuke nodded at that. From the little of Hinata and Naruto he saw, he noticed that Hinata was in love with the blond idiot. But there were two things in her way: Her shyness outside of battle and Naruto's sheer obliviousness.

"Tenten is cool! I plan on getting Sasuke with her! She hasn't shown any fangirlish intentions towards him, and he even commented on her beauty!!" Sanosuke nodded to that when the Sound Trio glanced at him. That was one hell of a poker game.

"Ino and Temari are hot looking, and are people who I would screw in a heartbeat!! Luckily, I'm not that kind of person, and I believe they both have eyes for Shikamaru!!" This proved that his Truthful Drunk came from what he was thinking.

He thought Ino liked Shikamaru. Truth was, Sanosuke noticed that she was giving Neji a look-over every now and then, oblivious to the stoic Hyuuga genius. If this was the case, they could use this to find out what Koji was thinking, since he only spoke his mind when he was screaming outloud, or causing trouble.

"And I think we know your feelings about Sakura-_chan_!" Zaku said, as they began to chuckle. "Hey guys! I think I may be a little tipsy!" Koji yelled, and the others began to laugh again. "A little isn't the word, my inebriated friend."Dosu said.

"How about you give me Sakura-chan's bra, so she can heal the hangover you will be getting in a few hours?" Sanosuke bargained. "OKAY!!!" Koji fished the stolen item from his right pocket, and handed it to Sanosuke, who sealed it in an index card.

"Well my friends, it looks like it's my choice to take our drunk friend home to rest off our 'interrogation.'" Sanosuke said, and the Sound Trio chuckled. "Just make sure to find out if he remembers anything that happens." Zaku said with a smirk.

_(Inn)_

"Ng. What happened? I feel like my head is going to explode." Koji muttered silently. It was now about 6:00, 5 hours after Koji's drunken tirade. He just woke up, and he was suffering from one hell of a hangover. After his painful awakening, he felt the need to use the bathroom.

He did.

3 times.

"I feel really sick. And vomit is a horrible aftertaste. When did I get drunk?" Koji muttered, before number 4 happened. (Can't remember getting drunk. Perfect!) Sanosuke smirked in his mind. He was definitely going to use this against Koji for the rest of his life.

"Where did Sakura's bra go? If she finds out I lost it, she'll kill me!" Koji said, and Sanosuke sighed. "I saw her earlier, and gave it back." Sanosuke smirked at Koji's breath of relierf, before it turned into number 5. "Should I get her to heal this sickness you got?" Sanosuke asked, and smirked when Koji showed panic.

"No need!! I'll just go to the pharmacy and get some medicine." Koji said, his hands flailing around. Sanosuke shrugged, and Koji walked out the door, wincing when the door slammed, and his head felt like exploding. He groaned in pain. He couldn't wait for the medicine to cure this headache.

_(Kazekage's Mansion: 2 Hours Later_

Gaara sat at his desk, looking irritated. When they said that he was elected as the new Kazekage, he was flattered that he was chosen as the protector of Suna. What wasn't mentioned was all the god-damn work the Kazekage had to put in.

There were so many papers looking for his signature, it wouldn't surprise him if he had to sign for a 5 year old to piss in a toilet!

…Okay, that last one was a little exhagerated, but you know what he means. He sighed, and heard the door being knocked on. He called for the person to enter, and was surprised to see Koji walk in.

But instead of the carefree Koji, he looked like he had a serious problem. "Hey Gaara. I have an issue I need to talk to you about." Koji said with a serious calm, and Gaara nodded. "What's wrong?" Garra asked. Koji sighed and pulled out a scroll. "Ever heard of Association 15?"

**ShadowRonin: It is almost time. Association 15 make their move, and Koji prepares to let them in on what he has learned, despite his will to leave them out of this. Next Chapter begins the fun.**

**Next Chapter: Association 15 makes their move, but what they didn't expect was The Sand Village being aware, setting the stage for a large war between the Association and the Leaf and Sand Allied Force!! Who will pull out on top? Find out on:**

**Chapter 28: It begins! Sand Takes on the Association!!**


	28. It Begins!

**Yo!!! I'm back, and dropping another chapter of Tales of a Boy and His Dog. Things begin to take a turn for the worst, and Koji is tested in ways he never thought he would be! Can he survive the upcoming trial? Find out!!**

Chapter 28: It begins! Sand Takes on the Association!!

Koji was feeling like something really bad was happening. He told the Kazekage everything he knew, but still felt that something was off. He looked to the stands, and noticed something that made his blood run cold. Sakura wasn't there, and neither was Shinji or Mist.

_(Outside of Sand Village)_

"Oi, Xin-sama. Is everything ready?" Blade asked, as Xin smirked. "My Beast Spirits shoud be enough to handle the Village Hidden in the Sand. Just in case, tell T.K and Sidestep to ready their weapons and beasts as well." Xin said, and Blade nodded. "So, how sure are you about this?" Blade asked.

"Sure enough that once this is over, your squad can take over while I settle things in that alternate world." Xin said, smirking. "You mean that world that we recently discovered? Isn't it uncharted?" Sidestep asked. "That's the reason me and my squad is going." Xin replied.

"Where are the other 3 worlds?" Blade asked. "DeepSpace's Squad has Mahora, DeathScythe's Squad is in Elibe, and MasterMind's in the Seiretei (sp?). He will have some kind of time there." Xin muttered.

"Though they are in the midst of staying in the human world, I figure they will have to travel to the Spirit World to save his friend. Hope that orange haired boy knows what he's doing." Xin muttered to himself, amused. "Whatever. Time to rock!!" Blade said, and he and Xin disappeared in their portals, while the undead warriors stalked towards the Sand Village.

_(Sand Stadium.)_

"Hey Koji, you okay?" Sanosuke asked. Koji didn't look his usual cheerful self. He looked like he was anticipating something. "Ryo for your thoughts?" Sanosuke asked. "If things go the way I think they will, it will cost more than a ryo." Koji replied.

"So, what's your bet on Naruto and Sasuke?" Sanosuke asked. "If they could finish, it would be one hell of a battle." Koji said. "Huh?" Sanosuke asked, before he noticed that the crowd was fairly small. Then, they all felt it. A fierce kind of dark wave.

"What was that!?" Sanosuke asked. "The beginning." Koji muttered, as Gaara appeared in the center, along with Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shiro. "Eh!?" Koji said, surprised.

"You didn't think he would leave us out of the loop, did you?" Koji turned, and saw Naruto, along with the Konoha 12. "Don't expect us to stand back and do nothing." Shiro said, as the entire Shadow Blades appeared behind him. "And we aren't alone." Gaara said, and smirked, when all the people in the arena dropped their Transformation Jutsus, and showed the entire Sand ANBU and Jounin.

"No way!" Koji turned to Gaara, and smirked. "Seems like something is going down. Let it be our honor to fight for you." Kakashi said, and Koji's smirk broadened. "Let the war begin!" Koji screamed, and thrust her fist into the air.

_(Inside the Village)_

Xin walked all through the Sand Village. It was oddly quiet. (Seems like people are either hiding, or they have been evacuated.) Xin mused to himself. "You! With the black robes!" Xin turned to look on top of a building, and saw Koji and Yami standing there, smirking.

"Hm. It seems the little boy has come to me instead." Xin muttered, as Koji and Yami appeared in front of him. "Listen, Dark Robes. I'm what you want, correct? Well, here I am!" Koji said, smirking. "You would come to see me?" Xin asked.

"No. I come to kill you!" Koj whipped his Chakra Staff out, and charged. Xin merely smirked, and one of his Chakra Sabers shot out, blocking the electric staff. Koji the swung again, and Xin blocked it without even moving. Koji got pissed, and began to swing faster and wilder.

Xin still stood where he was, and blocked all of them. Now Koji was feeling quite ticked. (Bastard!! I'm going to crush him!!) Koji jumped back, and made his seal, as Yami turned into her human form. "Ready?" Koji asked, smirking, as Yami's chakra claws extended from her fingers.

"Let's get him!!!" Yami screamed, as they both disappeared from view. Xin merely sighed, and pulled out the other blade. Without moving from his spot, he was moving his blades all over the place blocking attacks from both the nin and his partner. Both finished when Koji attempted a strike on Xin's calves, but he extended his blade, and blocked it by having it trail along his back. Koji and Yami hopped back, and both looked ticked.

"Damnit! He didn't even move, and he blocked our attacks!!" Koji said, and Yami growled. "This guy. He isn't some run of the mill villain. This guy's skills must be pretty good to be able to joke around with us like we are nothing." Yami said. "I know that!" Koji replied, his eyes white.

"Amusing that you would wish to continue, but I will not be your opponent." Xin said, and Koji gave him an emotionless look. "Who will be then?" Koji asked. Xin pointed towards the right, and Koji looked over that way. His eyes widened in shock. "S-Sakura!?"

_(With the Konoha 12)_

Sasuke was trailing the rest of the Konoha 12 as they were heading towards the gates where Gaara was stationed. All of a sudden, both Jiraiya and Tsunade stopped, and held Sasuke back.

"Go on ahead without us." Jiraiya said in that tone that meant no arguing. Everyone left, except Naruto, who called his 'sensei's' bluff. Jiraiya and Naruto held a glare, before Tsunade thwacked Jiraiya on the head.

"Forget it! It can't be helped." Tsunade said, and Naruto and Sasuke gave her a confused look. They were about to ask her what she meant, before Orochimaru appeared next to a building.

"Orochimaru!?" Naruto screamed. "It's nice to see you to, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru said. "Why the hell is he here!?" Naruto screamed. "He's here for Sasuke." Jiraiya said. "WHAT!?!? Are you old bastards off your rocker!?!?" Naruto screamed.

"It can't be helped. Currently, there are two evil organizations after this continent. Akatsuki is one, and these nin calling themselves Association 15 are ready to try and take over. Hell, their leader nearly killed all three of us!" Jiraiya said, and Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened.

"You mean one guy had the power to take on all three Sannin, and nearly win?" Naruto asked. "Sadly. I have a few more things I wish to teach to Sasuke. It is for the future of this world. Even I am smart enough to put a grudge on hold for something like this." Orochimaru said. "He better come back on his own accord." Tsunade said. "You have my word." Orochimaru said, taking off. Sasuke had no choice but to follow.

_(With Koji)_

"Why? Why is Sakura here?" Koji asked. "Funny. I ran into her earlier, and decided to have her join my cause. Nothing more amusing than watching two friends fight to the death." Xin said, smirking evilly. Koji glared viciously.

"Whatever the hell you did, let her go now!!" Koji screamed, scowling very fiercely at Xin. "Sorry, maybe you can remember what she used to be like with her old shirt." Xin said, as he a balled up piece of cloth to Koji. Koji unballed it, and was surprised to see the green shirt with 'Gamble' written on the back.

"She truly is under your control, isn't she?" Koji asked. "I would stay and watch, but there are other matters I need to attend to." Xin said, as he disappeared in his portal. Koji looked on, in silent thought. "Hey. If you don't think of something, we may have no choice but to-"

"Don't. Finish. That. Sentence." Koji muttered. Yami looked at him confused, as he slid his black overcoat off. "Take this shirt to Shiro. Tell him it means either me or Sakura will come back for it." Koji said. "Why?" Yami asked. "Because I will break whatever it is that has a hold on her." Koji said, and Yami smiled.

"Headstrong fool. Don't die." Yami said, as she ran away from them. "Arrogant dog, making me keep promises I'm not sure I can keep." Koji then used an Enlargement Jutsu, so he could pull Sakura's green shirt over his green tank top.

"A little girly smelling, but I've worn worse." Koji said, as he glanced to Sakura. "Sorry Xin, but when everything is said and done, Sakura will be free. She'll survive at least." Koji muttered.

_(Northern Sand Gates)_

At the gates that lead Sand to Sound, Kabuto stood, waiting. "What's taking Orochimaru-sama so long?" Kabuto muttered. He turned, and adjusted his glasses, as Sasuke and Orochimaru appeared.

"Okay, what's the meaning of all this!?" Sasuke demanded. "You know that there is a new gang looking to take over?" Kabuto asked. "I'm aware." Sasuke said. "Then the reason for this is because we are getting to a point where we can't be careless. If not even the Sannin can stand toe-to-toe with these guys, then maybe the protégés can." Orochimaru said.

"You mean me, Naruto, and Sakura?" Sasuke asked. "Yes. Now, we must leave. You won't be ready for some time." Kabuto said. They were about to leave, but there were 20 of those Archangel warriors with black wings that Xin summoned.

"Hn. Fallen Angels." Kabuto said. "You know of them?" Sasuke asked. "That's what Xin called them." Orochimaru said. "Looks like we get some exercise on the way." Kabuto said, as he pulled out one of his curved kunai. "I suppose." Orochimaru said.

_(With the Kazekage)_

"So, this is what we are up against?" Gaara asked, Shiro was standing next to him. "Three more are in the village, but my crew can handle them." Shiro said. "I hope your right." Gaara said. Shiro then went silent, and glanced into the village. "Someone's calling me." Shiro said. "Huh?" Gaara asked. "Don't worry. It's time for two of the Kumo Sannin to meet." Shiro said, disappearing.

_(Akatsuki)_

"Seems like things are going pretty bad, yeah." Deidara said, glancing at the approaching army. "Things look like they are going to get fun. If only we didn't have to stand at the sidelines and watch." Kisame said.

"Says the oversized bloodthirsty shark, yeah." Deidara said. "Zip it!" Kisame said. "Guys! We shouldn't be arguing with each other! We're all friends and teammates!" Kanzaki said. "In your world, maybe we are." Kisame said.

"We have company." Itachi finally spoke, as a shadow stood above them. "Who is that?" Deidara asked. "Association 15." Itachi said. "Ah. That group that has been gaining power." Kisame said. "What group?" Kanzaki asked. "If you would pay attention in our meetings, you would know, yeah." Deidara said.

"Stop picking on her." Itachi said. "You sticking up for her!?" Kisame asked, amazed. "No. She's too out there to fend off someone like Deidara." Itachi said. "Hey!!" Deidara screamed, his eyes had turned white. "Akatsuki." The Association nin said, and the four members turned their attention to him.

"So, he thinks he can openly talk to us like we are his buddies or something?" Kisame said, smirking as he grabbed the handle of Samehada. "No Kisame. You three stay back." Itachi said. "And why is that!?" Kisame asked. "This boy's chakra, it isn't normal. I can't say even I can win." Itachi said calmly, and their eyes widened.

"Don't joke like that, Itachi." Deidara said. "I don't joke." Itachi said. "We'll hold you to that." Kisame said, as he jumped to the top of the building, along with Deidara and Kanzaki. "T.K." The Association nin said, pulling his hood off to show orange spikey hair. "Itachi Uchiha." Itachi said, as he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his Akatsuki Cloak, and let his left hand rest there. He discarded the hat they all wore, and tossed it into the air, so Kisame could catch it.

_(Shadow Blade 5)_

"So, Kimimaro, what's the deal with these guys?" Sakon asked. "Association 15 are said to be 15 nin with no alliance to any village. They are S-Rank nin, and are quite powerful." Kimimaro said.

"So, why does Shiro-sama know so much about these guys?" Jirobo asked. "That might be because our leader knows Masamune personally." They all turned, and saw Sidestep there, smirking. "Hey, it's disco freak." Sakon said, and Kidomaru actually looked serious. "I wouldn't underestimate this weirdo. He's stronger than he looks." Kidomaru said, and Tayuya sneered at him.

"Is that because you are weak as hell?" Tayuya asked, and Kidomaru glared at her with white eyes. "Okay bitch!! Think you're so tough, you kick his ass!!!" Kidomaru screamed, glaring at her. "Fine!! I will!!" Tayuya turned to Sidestep, who was standing there, smirking.

"Little girls shouldn't fight." Sidestep said. "And faggots shouldn't either." Tayuya replied, and Sidestep closed his eyes, as a mushroom shaped sigh escaped his lips. "Foul mouthed and bitchy. Not a good combo." Tayuya glared fiercely, and she pulled out her flute.

_(With the Mist nin)_

"So, the wheels of fate have begun to turn." Shinji said. "So it seems. We should get out of here. Those Association guys will waste no time in trying to off us." Zabuza said. "Oh how right you are, Zabuza-san." The Mist Three turned, and saw Blade, with a senbon needle in his mouth.

"Hn. It's Blade." Zabuza said. "He's the one who has a mastery of Kenjutsu." Haku said. "So you know of my skills? I'm flattered." Blade said, smirking. "A ninja always knows who he is associated with." Zabuza said.

"And you know what happens to traitors. You didn't think I would let you leave out of the mission with your lives?" Blade asked, flipping the senbon in his mouth. "I actually was shooting for 'never meeting you bastards again.'" Shinji said. "Wit won't get you anywhere during this brawl, boy." Blade said.

"Who the hell are you to call me 'boy'? You look the same age I am!" Shinji said, smirking. "But the difference in our power is that of an adult and a boy." Blade said. "We'll just have to see who is the boy then!" Shinji said, as he pulled a Water Katana out of his water bottle.

_(Elsewhere)_

(It's finally time we met, my old rival.) Two nin thought, as they walked towards the Kazekage Tower. (You were always the one who stood in my way. Always the one I wished to beat.) They both used the rooftops to hop along towards their destination.

(And now, it's high time for a showdown!) Both nin appeared, and held their airs of power. Shiro Masamune and Xin were finally face to face.

**ShadowRonin: It has begun! The Association-Allied Element Ninja War begins now! There will be matches upon matches. Hell, there will be matches inside of matches. But most of all, Association 15 has made their intentions known. Let's see if the heroes can pull a victory out.**

**Next Chapter: Things are just beginning, and already they look grim. Koji is forced to fight Sakura, without killing her or himself in the process. Can he save her from Xin's grasp, or will he die trying? Find out on:**

**Chapter 29: Showdown!!!!! Part 1: Saving Sakura!**


	29. Showdown!: Part 1

**Yo!!! I'm back, and the story lives on, with the next chapter!! Koji is in for one hell of a battle, and his survival is at stake. A clutch situation, but I always believe the good guy can win. So Read and Review.**

Chapter 29: Showdown!!!!! Part 1: Saving Sakura!

Koji stood across from Sakura, wearing her green Gamble shirt as she was decked out in an Association robe. "Alright Sakura. Care to explain how you came to be where you are now?" Koji asked.

Somehow, it didn't surprise him when she didn't give an answer, but he did spot the choker she had on. (She didn't have that on when I last checked. That might be it. It's a guess, but I don't have any other leads.) Koji mused to himself.

"So, you gonna stand there and stare all day, or are we going to do this?" Koji taunted, as he slid into the Tiger Fist. Sakura merely raised her right hand, and slammed it into the building behind her. The whole structure shook, before it fell into a giant pile of debris. "Oh shit…" Koji muttered, his eyes dotted. He prepared himself, because Sakura took that as the go.

(Can't block…can't block…) Koji chanted that religiously as Sakura was swinging for the fences with her gloved fists. Koji knew one punch and it would be over. He dodged each punch, and if he could, slid some out of the way.

She then went for a kick, and Koji decided to block. Wrong move. He brought his arm up, and it blocked her kick. In that moment, his eyes widened in pain, as he realized her insane strength also affected her feet.

He blocked it, but the part of his arm that connected with her foot cracked in half. In that half a second where Koji realized his arm was shot, he was blasted from the force of the kick. He flew through 4 houses, and slid along the ground from the force of landing on a bed. (That was smoother than I thought it would be.) Koji joked to himself, before he jumped away to avoid the heel kick that left a crater. She was about to continue her assault, but she couldn't sense Koji's chakra.

(Shit! I can't hope to be able to fight her without the intent to kill.) Koji admitted to himself, grudgingly. He admitted to being pragmatic when he needed to be, but he just couldn't draw the inner focus this time. (I made a promise. She would come out of this alive. I just hope I can say the same for myself.) Koji hopped along the buildings, before a foot from above knocked him back into another house, and he flew into a basement.

"Ng. I'm getting owned." Koji slowly stood to his feet, and Sakura charged him. "Sorry." Koji muttered, as he grabbed Sakura's wrist, and flipped her over him, and hit her with a Lightning Gun, sending her out the house. "Doing that with one arm wasn't fun." Koji muttered to himself, as he sped away.

Koji came to what looked like a furniture store, and plopped on a bed. (I've reached my time. I can't fight back with one arm, and it's useless to try and stop her.) Koji was at his wits end. He couldn't fight with only one arm, and if he died before Sakura was saved, than he would be just wasting time. He jumped up when he felt a wave of chakra approaching him.

He pulled a kunai out of his pouch, and prepared himself. "Here you are! I'm glad you're not dead yet." A woman, with black hair and a Jounin Outfit from Konoha said. "You're from Konoha." Koji said.

"Yes. My name is Shizune." Shizune said. "Ah. You are the one that hangs around Tsunade." Koji said, remembering her face. "Yes I am, and I'm a Medic Nin." Shizune said, smiling a warm smile, causing Koji to blush a little.

He wouldn't lie. Shizune looked pretty damn good. "You look like you could use some help." She said. "That would be nice." Koji replied, showing his broken arm. It was quiet while Shizune was working on his arm.

"You know, Sakura and Tsunade talk about you quite a bit." Shizune said, trying to start a conversation. "Hn?" Koji replied. "They talk about how idiotic you and your sensei are." Shizune said, and Koji shrugged. "Their opinion." Koji said. "They may say some mean things, but I can tell you and your sensei are highly regarded in their hearts. They just won't admit it." Shizune said.

"I'm sure." Koji said, in a sarcastic tone. Shizune smiled, and Koji's arm was healed. Koji tested it, and smirked when he felt no pain. "I believe that if anyone can save her, it's you." Koji was surprised to hear that from Shizune, but he smiled nonetheless.

"That's good to know. I hope I can live to that expectation." Koji said, smiling. The happy moment was cut short when both nin hopped out of the way to avoid a giant chunk of wall from hitting them. "Shizune! Stay out of sight. Be ready to heal either of us!!" Koji commanded, as he charged through the dust towards Sakura, and out of Shizune's sight.

Koji was anxious. He could sense her chakra, but he couldn't see her. And to make this more amusing, their brawl had dragged into what looked like a toy store. (If it wasn't for the fact that my life was at stake, I would see what video games this village has.) Koji mused, smirking inwardly.

He then felt it, her chakra had spiked slightly. He turned, and ducked as her fist whizzed right over his head. Koji jumped back, and began to dodge the fists that were flying at him.

Koji back flipped, and landed on a shelf. Sakura kicked a few Soccer Balls in his direction, and Koji managed to use his fists to knock them away. He jumped behind the shelf, and ducked when Sakura's fist smashed through the shelf, and ran along one of the aisles.

(Think think THINK!!!!) Koji screamed to himself. He then decided that to hell with not hurting her. Sometimes it couldn't be helped. He turned when he caught sight of her, and blasted her with the Lightning Gun.

Shizune felt the chakra flaring off of Koji and Sakura, and ran towards it. (Don't die Koji. If Sakura is freed finding out you died to help her…) Shizune didn't finish the thought, because an explosion rocked the store, and Koji flew next to her.

"Ng." Koji looked messed up. "Where's Sakura-chan?" Shizune asked, checking on Koji. "Hn. Hopefully down for the count." Koji muttered, then coughing up some blood. "I think she got a rib." Koji muttered. Shizune sighed, and began to heal him, but she stopped early when the side that Sakura was on exploded, and she reappeared.

"You both went at it." Shizune said. "I know." Koji said. Sakura then put her hands into a seal, and her right arm was covered with weird black markings. "?" Koji didn't know what was happening, but Shizune looked stunned. "That jutsu." Shizune said.

"What about it?" Koji asked. "That's Tsunade's Creation Rebirth Jutsu." "And that does?" "It makes it so the user heals at a very fast rate. You can inflict damage, but it will never do any permanent damage. They can't die." Sakura chose that time to charge with even more speed than before.

"Ain't that beautiful!" Koji screamed in annoyance, before shoving Shizune out of the way. He took a left hook to the jaw, and flew through some toy cars. He rolled on the ground, until he stopped by colliding on the candy dispensers. Koji was sitting, but found that moving was painful enough.

He then put his hands into his seal, and found he couldn't mold any chakra. (When!?) He thought, and then his mind flashed back to when he was battling Sakura. He had used some chakra to buffer some of the punches, but they felt weaker than normal.

(Che. Hit a few pressure points, and all of a sudden, my chakra is finshed.) Koji mused annoyed. (I refuse to let it end like this!) Koji put his hands into the seal again, and tried with all his might to unleash some chakra. (Not now! Not now! Not now! Not now!) Koji chanted that in his mind, as Sakura approached him.

(I WON'T QUIT UNTIL SAKURA IS SAVED!!!!) And with that, Koji's untapped electric chakra blasted off of him, transforming his hair and eyes. (Let's go! That choker is coming off!!!) Koji jumped to his feet, and charged with hidden speed. His fists were cracking with chakra, and he swung for the choker. Sakura managed to dodge, and punched Koji in the gut. Koji fell to his knees, and turned into a toy car.

Koji ran through some aisles, creating some handsigns. "Since she's in Creation Rebiirth, all my attacks shouldn't seriously harm her. In a way, she actually is making this a little easier." Koj muttered. He felt her chakra, and flashed his hands in that direction.

"Lightning Style: Volt Storm Jutsu!!" Koji said, and 15 waves of lightning chakra shot out of his hands towards Sakura. Sakura dodged them all, and Koji aimed a Lightning Gun at her throat. She slid out of the way, and punched Koji in the jaw. He flew threw the air, and landed into the wall hard.

(She isn't using her chakra. That choker has given her some of Xin's chakra…) Koji mused, as he could feel two separate chakras in the air. "Okay! Time to-" Koji couldn't finish, because he felt like he couldn't move. (Shit! With my main chakra sealed off, it takes less time for me to succumb to paralysis!)

Koji slumped back onto his butt, and rested his back on the wall, his hair and eyes returning to normal. (So I've lost.) Koji felt Sakura approaching him, as his hair overshadowed his eyes. (I die like this.) Sakura was towering over him.

Koji then smiled. (I lived a good life.) Sakura came to her knees, and brought her fist back. Koji opened his eyes, and faced death, with a sad smile. (I'm sorry I couldn't free you, Sakura-chan.) Koji closed his eyes, waiting for death, but he didn't feel the final blow after a few seconds.

He opened his eyes, and what he saw actually surprised him. Sakura's eyes were still dulled over, but there was some sort of life in them. "Sakura? Are you okay?" Koji asked. Sakura was struggling to keep from killing Koji, and he realized that she was preventing his death through sheer determination.

(Hn. In the end she helps me help herself.) Koji thought. Koji slowly reached into his pouch and pulled out a kunai, as Sakura's eyes began to tear up. "Hn. I guess in some way, you do care." Koji muttered, as he lightly flicked the kunai, tearing the choker off Sakura's neck. Her hair fell over her face, and Koji sighed. "Welcome back Amazon." Koji closed his eyes, and drifted off.

"Sakura!! You're alright!" Sakura turned, and saw Shizune, smiling brightly. "Shizune-sempai." Sakura said. "Is Koji alright?" Shizune asked. "I hope. I really hope so." Sakura said, sadly.

"Ng. I'm still alive. None of this pity shit." Koji said, smirking a little. "KOJI!!!" Sakura screamed, as she hugged him. "Yes Amazon. I'm alive." Koji replied. "I thought…I thought…"

"sigh Come on Sakura. I made a promise, and I damn well intend on keeping it." Koji said, as he rested his head on Sakura's shoulders. "Worrying over me instead of yourself. Baka." Sakura said, as tears began to well into her eyes.

"So, nee-chan. What's the current damage?" Koji asked. "During your battle, there were various battles being waged in the village." Shizune said. "Well, get me healed up, and we can get into the mix." Koji said, as Shizune began to heal him.

"Hey Amazon, you should keep the robes. It accentuates your assets!" Koji was of course whacked over the head, but the cheerful laughter from both Sakura and Koji washed away all bad thoughts.

**ShadowRonin: I know, that was good. Koji saved her, and everything is alright. But this is only one side to the story. Some nagging voice in the back of my head tells me I will get grilled about not having Naruto appear to help, but he will have his uses mach later in the story. It will focus around the other 12 and some other Ocs for now, but when Naruto becomes the center, things will really get interesting.**

**Next Chapter: The Shadow Blades have been a friend to Koji, and are on his side. Now it's time they showed their skills. Tayuya and Sidestep fight it out next time on:**

**Chapter 30: Showdown!!!!! Part 2: Shadow Assault! Tayuya vs. Sidestep!**


	30. Showdown: Part 2

**Yo!!! This chapter is brought to you by the letter R. R for Read and Review before a Random child with a Ravenous blood thirsty Rabbit attacks the world, forcing a Revolution involving Rural children and Rabies. Let that soak in your mind while you Read.**

Chapter 30: Showdown!!!!! Part 2: Shadow Assault! Tayuya vs. Sidestep!

"So, little hot head. You going to move, or do I get first strike?" Sidestep asked, as Tayuya smirked. She brought her flute to her mouth, and began to play. As her song rang throughout the battle field, three demons appeared.

"A Summoning Jutsu?" Sidestep mused, as the giant grey demons charged at him. One swung, holding three giant Senbon in its grasp. Sidestep jumped out of the way, and back flipped to land onto a palm tree. (That flute, it's too loud. I can't concentrate on my music.) Sidestep mused, as the flute's music reverbertated all around.

(Hn. Guess I have no choice but to get rid of that annoying instrument.) Sidestep pulled out a few shuriken in the shape of disco balls, and flung them. Tayuya played a tune, and a Doki Summon popped in front of her, and blocked the attack. (Ah son of a bitch!) Sidestep screamed in his mind, as a giant Doki wielding an axe sliced the tree he was in in half.

A whistle of amazement was all Sidestep could say. He hopped back, and growled annoyed. (I won't use my Soul Weapon! I don't want them to know any more than what is necessary.) He commanded himself in his mind.

Sidestep ran along the streets thinking. He then came to a toy store, and caught a flash of dreadlocks. (Eh!? Hyosuke is in there!?) Sidestep mused on it for a few seconds, before a gang of these weird things that looked like cut up intestines with teeth charged at him. (You know. Those weird things that drain chakra.)

Sidestep tossed some kunai at them, and was miffed when they flew right through them. He jumped to avoid them, and pulled out a disco shuriken. He was about 12 blocks away from Tayuya, but he could see her. He spun, and tossed it with all his strength.

The thing flew amazingly, and Tayuya actually jumped to avoid it. (The fuck!?) The thing, though thrown 12 blocks away, damn near took her head off. The moment her tune ended, her Doki Summons stopped moving altogether, and Sidestep caught that.

(The damn things move when she plays!? Ain't that something.) Game plan! Take the flute, and you got her beat. Time to kick ass!!

"This doesn't look good." Kidomaru said. "Why is that?" Sakon asked. "He figured her out." Jirobo said, and Sakon smirked. "Then she can fight her way out! She is the smart one." Sakon said.

"But she's also the tempermental one. All it takes is one time for her to unhinge." Kimimaro said. "If something goes wrong, you are bailing her out." Sakon said. "Why me?" Kimimaro asked. "Because, if any of us try, she'll skin us alive. And besides, she'll listen to anything you say." Kidomaru said, smirking.

"I am the leader, right? It makes sense for her to follow my commands." Kimimaro said. "Even if you weren't, she would follow your words." Sakon said, and they all smirked. "What's so funny?" Kimimaro asked. "The sheer denseness you have." Kidomaru said.

Sidestep was running and dodging the attacks of the giant Doki Summons, and began to plot the downfall of everyone's favorite foul-mouthed Shadow Blade.

Sidestep ran along the streets, as he pulled out 5 kunai. He then jumped into the rooftops, and smirked. He then changed directions and charged towards Tayuya. Tayuya's eyes widened in surprised, before the Doki wielding the axe stood in front of her, and Sidestep smirked.

The giant Doki swung, and Sidestep hopped over it, tossing a kunai. Tayuya jumped out of the way of the attack, but was surprised when Sidestep appeared next to her, a kunai in hand. He swiped, and knocked Tayuya's flute away. If that wasn't enough, he tossed his 4 remaining kunai, and they got caught in the holes in the flutes. The instrument flew through the air, until it got stuck along a tree. Tayuya muttered some colorful words, before the Dokis disappeared, and Sidestep's smirk grew even wider. (Got her!)

Tayuya ran to the tree (palm, just so you know), annoyed that it was lodged in their quite hard. She managed to pull it out, and was happy that it wasn't broken. She smirked, and was about to bring it to her mouth, but the whole area then turned into what looked like a giant disco danceroom.

Tayuya turned to look around in confusion, before an area lit up, eminating an 'OH!' sound from somewhere. Sidestep was in that lit area, holding a pose, and smiling. "Now it's time for my move. Let the dance begin!!" Sidestep said, as a technotronic beat started up, and Sidestep began to dance.

"Shit! He's about to start fightning for real!" Kidomaru said. "You sure?" Jirobo asked. "This weird song. It started up the moment he was fighting to win!" Kidomaru said. "Then he get stronger when he moves to this disco music?" Sakon asked.

"Yeah." Kidomaru replied. "Back me up. If something goes wrong, save Tayuya and let me handle him." Kimimaro said, as he disappeared in a poof of leaves.

(My music. I can't hear my songs…) Tayuya muttered. "Can't play what you can't hear?" Sidestep asked, and Tayuya smirked, and began playing. He jumped when a tomahawk flew through the skies, and landed where he was standing/dancing.

"You're getting serious!" Sidestep said, as the Doki wielding the three needles charged. He danced out of the way, and began to moonwalk towards Tayuya. She put her Doki on stand-by, and charged towards Sidestep. He was dancing and grooving out of the way of Tayuya's swings, and Sidestep twisted out of the way, and kicked her dead in the jaw.

She flew in the air, and landed on her feet. She then growled in irritation, and wiped her mouth off. (He isn't moving in a pattern at all.) Tayuya thought to herself, as she dodged the kicks that he was throwing, a lot of them nearly hitting her. She jumped back, and began to play her flute. Sidestep twisted and turned to avoid the attacks coming from all over the place, but he still managed to kick Tayuya a few times, in the jaw, in the exact same area.

Tayuya hit the ground hard, and spit some blood out. (The orthodontist is going to have a heart attack.) Tayuya joked lamely in her mind, as Sidestep spun in place. She jumped up, and charged, and while he was spinning, his foot shot out, and caught her in the gut, and he roundhouse kicked her in the side of her face, knocking her out.

Sidestep stopped spinning, and smirked. "Sorry girlie, it's high time you die." Sidestep said, and hopped back when a Bone Knife landed where he was. Sidestep looked on, as Kimimaro landed next to Tayuya.

"What are you, her boyfriend?" Sidestep asked. "We don't have that kind of relationship. I am the leader of our group, so her life is in my care." Kimimaro said. Sidestep shrugged, and turned to walk away. "Tell your girlfriend that she should learn to not underestimate her enemies. I'm sure she had something like that Spider Boy." Sidestep said, as he walked into his portal.

"She got her ass kicked!" Kidomaru said, as Sakon smirked. "Maybe it will knock her 'I'm better than you' mindset down a few blocks." Sakon said, smirking. "Guys!!" The 4 conscious Shadow Nin turned, and saw Zaku, Kin, Dosu, and Sanosuke coming towards them, looking like they were in a fight.

"You three look like you had fun." Sakon said. "Can it, Lipstick Boy!" Zaku said, and Sakon glared at him. "Just because he wears green lipstick doesn't make him any less normal than us." Dosu said, adding to the insult.

"Maybe he's suffering from 'Moss of the Lip' or something." Sanosuke snickered at that comment, as Sakon punched the hell out of Zaku. "What's so funny punk?" Sakon said.

"Zaku is." Sanosuke replied, in a smart ass-like tone. Sakon's glare became fierce, and Ukon appeared on his stomach. "I say we kill him now brother!" Ukon said. "Hn. Either a crazy Kekkei Genkai, or you bring a whole new meaning to the term Siamese Twins." Sanosuke commented, and Jirobo had to restrain Sakon from attacking.

(WHY THAT NO GOOD, DIRTY MOTHER FUC-) "Why is your face red?" Kidomaru asked. Kin blushed bright red, and Sanosuke groaned. "Long story." Both said at the same time.

**ShadowRonin: So in the end, Tayuya loses, but keeps her life. Had she not underestimated the dancing fiend, she could have won, but then again, maybe she wouldn't. We will never know now. The new questions is what the heck Sanosuke is doing with the Shadow Trio? Maybe next chapter will answer that. Maybe.**

**Next Chapter: Zaku, Kin , and Dosu are caught in the middle of a giant assault by the Skeleton things that are attacking in groves. Sanosuke is somehow dragged into the battle, searching for Koji. How will this 4-man Squad fare? Find out on:**

**Chapter 31: Showdown!!!!! Part 3: Shadow Assault! Team Zaku Takes the Stage!!**


	31. Showdown: Part 3

**Yo!! This Chapter is dedicated to all those in the anime world who died on the story, but don't have much infamy in videogames and such. Or those in the anime world who are looked over, like Zaku, Kin, and Dosu. Anyone who has played any of the Naruto Related Games know what I'm talking about.**

**Chapter 31: Showdown!! Part 3: Shadow Assault! Team Zaku Takes the Stage!!**

Zaku, Kin, and Dosu had been in the city, helping evacuate civilians at the order of Shiro. Since then, they were sitting on the roofs, bored. "Watch the civilians he says. Damnit, their gone and I'm bored!!" Zaku screamed. "You are always bored." Dosu said. "What's your point?" Zaku asked. "Who's that?" Kin asked. They looked down, and from the green headband, and brown hair, they guessed it was Koji's friend.

_(With Sanosuke)_

"_Where are you going Koji?" Sanosuke asked. "I feel like something is calling me and Yami. Don't worry, I'll handle it!!" Koji said, disappearing in a bolt of lightning. "Watch where you Body Flick, dumbass. You could shock someone." Sanosuke muttered, annoyed._

"Still haven't found him." Sanosuke mumbled in annoyance. Damn him when he gets like this. He goes looking for trouble, and doesn't even think of the consequences. Idiot warrior. "You!" Sanosuke looked up, and saw three people looking at him. He recognized them as the three people Koji hung with that one day, and smirked. Finally, some fun.

"It's that annoying friend of Koji's." Zaku said. Before Dosu could comment, a small dust storm had picked up, and blinded them. They looked back down, and saw that Sanosuke was gone.

"It isn't nice to spy on someone." Zaku nearly jumped in surprise. "We knew you knew we were here." Dosu said. "Sure." Sanosuke said, making himself comfy next to Kin, who blushed unnoticibly. "So, what's the situation? Koji ran off without my knowledge." Sanosuke said, making it look like Koji didn't leave him behind.

"He left you behind in a reckless charge?" Dosu asked. "Shut up." Sanosuke replied. "Sounds like something a reckless idiot would do." Dosu said, glancing at Zaku. "I am not a reckless-" Before he could finish, the building they were sitting was blasted. When the tried to see who or what did it, they saw Sakura approaching her opponent.

"Is that Sakura?" Sanosuke asked. "Doesn't matter, we have company." Sanosuke turned, and saw 20 Fallen Angels in front of them, wielding spears and swords. "Any of you ready for a brawl?" Zaku asked.

"5 each?" Dosu asked. "Couldn't have asked for anything else." Sanosuke said, as he fiddled with his index card. "Ready?" Kin asked, 5 needles in each hand, and bells attached to the strings. "GO!!" They all scattered, as 5 Fallend Angels followed each person.

Zaku was running and shooting Air Cutters as his 5 charged him. "Ha ha, slowpokes!! Can't cut what you can't catch, eh?" Zaku said, launching more Air Cutters at the 4 monsters foll- Wait. 4!? (Crap!! Where's fugly number 5?) Zaku said in his mind, before a spear nearly impaled him.

"Gah!!" Zaku, surprised, fell off the building, and landed on the streets. He turned in time to blast one of the Fallen Angesl with his Air Cannons, and it busted into pieces, and disappeared.

"Score!!" Zaku screamed in his mind, and he jumped back to the rooftops. He spun as two of them charged with swords. He ducked and weaved under the attacks, and managed to smash his fist into one of them, causing it's jaw to shatter and his fist to start bleeding.

"Damn, that stung." Zaku joked, as he jumped away, and blasted two of them with his Air Cutter. "That was a joke!" Zaku said, smirking as he blasted the last one. "These guys are-" Zaku cut off when he felt two powerful pulses of chakra. He looked around, and spotted something. He looked around, and two flashes of black shot past him fast. "The hell!?" Zaku screamed. "If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn I saw red clouds."

_(With Sanosuke)_

"What the hell is up with these things!? They're tough as hell!" Sanosuke thought to himself. He had killed one, but the other four were putting up an oddly strong fight. Sanosuke hopped as one of them reappeared. He swung Rock Smash, and it was blocked by the Fallen Angel's Short Sword.

"That is not fair at all!" Sanosuke screamed in annoyance, as another one with a spear charged from above. Sanosuke hopped back, and sealed his sword, and pulled out a kunai. He ducked and weaved around the spear, getting nicked a few times, before he tossed the kunai, and hit it in its empty eye sockets.

Sadly, it didn't really affect him, just distracted him for a few seconds. "Now! Diamond Blade!!" Sanosuke said, as he pulled out his index card. "Kazeyama Style Kenjutsu: Boomerang Blade!!" Sanosuke tossed the giant weapon of doom, and it cleaved the Fallen Angel in half. The blade flew back to Sanosuke, and he slammed it into the ground.

"Now, Kazeyama Style Kenjutsu: Aerial Cutter!!" Sanosuke reared his blade overhead, and jumped at the other three Angels, spinning vertically like a saw. 2 of them dodged, but the third was chopped into dust. Sanosuke landed on another roof, and spun around to face he last two foes. They both charged with Spears, and Sanosuke spun Diamnond Blade in the air.

"Time to end this! Kazeyama Style Kenjutsu:" Sanosuke waited, and then in the blink of an eye, disappeared from sight. The two monsters looked around, trying to locate him. "Crashing Blade!!" Sanosuke came from above, and crushed one of them with the blunt end of Diamond Blade. "Not done!! Kazeyama Style Kenjutsu: Crescent Slash!!" Sanosuke swung the blade, creating a crescent, and the crescent arc created a bunch of mini-explosions that obliterated the demon.

Sanosuke stood there, panting. He had used up quite a bit of chakra holding the Diamond Blade, and each attack cost a small amount of chakra to initiate. In short, he was suffering from battle wounds and down to 30 percent of his chakra reserves.

_(With Dosu)_

Dosu smirked. He could sense that someone was nearby, but he couldn't see them. He turned, and his Melody Arm blocked a sword. "So, there you are." Dosu said boringly, and smashed it's face with his Melody Arm. He spun, and pulled out 10 shuriken.

He then jumped away, and tossed them. The Fallen Angels dodged them, but that's what he wanted. He launched off a tree, and charged at them, throwing a right hook. It was caught, and Dosu smirked.

"You really shouldn't have done that." Dosu said, as he tapped the Melody Arm, and it vibrated throughout the angel's bone-like body, causing it to turn to dust from the strong vibrations. "Didn't think that would work." Dosu muttered, sighing.

He hadn't done something that simple since he fought that weird kid in the green spandex. Well, that wasn't really simple, more like 'damn that kid is fast and thank goodness my attacks hit the ear and immobilize him' kind of simple. Luckily, after Sasuke busted out that purple chakra of death and destruction, he decided to cut his losses and get the hell out of there.

Of course, this lead to his 'death' via Sand Burial, but luckily, that's what brought him here today. Meeting people like Koji Hyosuke, and being the unspoken Team Captain of the Shadow Trio when Kimimaro or Nekobe wasn't leading their mission.

Well, that is the inner workings of Dosu Kinuta. Oh, my bad, probing his inner thoughts took us away from the fight. Back to the battle.

"Well, that wasn't too bad." (ShadowRonin sweatdrops) Oh. He finished while I was talking. Heh heh. (Sweatdrops again.) Okay, that makes things a little awkward…let's check on Kin!!

Kin was currently running through a few alleyways, as the 5 Fallen Angels followed her through the air. "These guys are persistent." Kin muttered, as they all charged at her. She tossed her needles all along the alleyway, and held the string in her hand. She smirked, and used her chakra to ring the bells.

Instead of disorientating them, they stood there as though she didn't do anything. Kin sweat dropped. "Oh…no ears to affect them…" Kin mused, as the Fallen Angels charged. Kin was about to pull out a kunai to defend herself, but she wouldn't have to attack.

"Earth Style: Rock Spiral Jutsu!!" A tornado of stones shot out, and killed 4 of them, the fifth one flew away just in time, and managed to nick Kin a few times before she finished it with a kunai. "Who the hell used that attack?" Kin asked, as she looked around. She felt something wet hit her forehead, and looked up, and gasped. Sanosuke was nodding off on the rooftop, sweat trickling down his face.

"SANOSUKE!!" Kin screamed, and Sanosuke shot up. "Eh!?" Sanosuke said, jumping to his feet, which was a bad thing. Since he was incredibly tired, his balance was horrible, and he fell from the roof. Kin screamed in terror, and ran to catch him. Good news: He didn't die from the fall. Bad News: The position that they landed in would be deemed 'compromising.'

Sanosuke was still a little out of it, since he was ready to drop, and his chakra was down to 20 percent. He felt like he was resting on pillows, and smiled.

"Ah, nice soft pillow…sleep…" Sanosuke muttered, not knowing his head rested on Kin's impressive bust. A scream and a slap later, Sanosuke was half-awake, rubbing his eyes.

"Ng. What the hell Kin? Why did you hit me?" Sanosuke asked. He became attentive when she didn't answer, and found it odd she was glowing bright red. "Something happen?" Sanosuke asked. She averted her eyes, and turned even brighter. "N-nothing!" Kin said rapidly, and Sanosuke shrugged.

"Whatever." Sanosuke stood to his feet, and sighed. "At least you are battle ready. I'm ready to drop." Sanosuke said. "Here you are." Sanosuke turned, and saw Zaku and Dosu approaching them. "What took you guys so long?" Zaku asked.

"Shut up." Kin said. "Are you alright, Sword Boy?" Dosu asked. "The name is Sanosuke, and no, my chakra is low." Sanosuke said. "That's bad. Well, we are all alive, and that's all that matters." Zaku said. "I hear something that sounds like a flute." Dosu said. "Must be Tayuya." Zaku said. "Let's find them." Dosu said.

They walked for a few minutes, before they came to what looked like the other Shadow 5 surrounding Tayuya. "Guys!!" Zaku screamed, getting their attention. They got their attention. "You three look like you had some fun." Sakon said.

"Can it, Lipstick Boy." Zaku said, and Sakon glared at him. "Just because he wears green lipstick doesn't make him any less normal than us." Dosu said, adding to the insult. He never really liked Sakon much.

"Maybe he's suffering from 'Moss of the Lip' or something." Sanosuke couldn't help but snicker at the comment that Zaku made, and Sakon punched the hell out of Zaku. "What's so funny, punk?" Sakon asked.

(Looks like Mr. Sensitive is mad. Taking it out on me is bad.) Sanosuke thought to himself, smirking. "Zaku is." Sanosuke said in a smart-ass tone. Sakon glare became fiercer, and Ukon appeared on his stomach. "I say we kill him now brother!" Ukon said.

"Hn. Either a crazy Kekkei Genkai, or you bring a whole new meaning to the term Siamese Twins." Sanosuke commented, and smirked when Sakon was held back by Jirobo.

(Cocky bastard fell for my bluff.) Sanosuke said, smirking. "Why is your face red?" Kidomaru asked. Sanosuke shrugged, but didn't notice the fierce blush Kin had. "Long story." Both said at the same time.

And so, the Shadow Gang along with Sanosuke began to walk around to find Shiro and Nekobe. Tayuya was being carried by Kimimaro, despite the fact that he thought Kidomaru should carry her since he would still have enough limbs to fight.

Jirobo was positioned in between Sakon and Sanosuke, since those two still had some ill will towards each other. Kidomaru was smirking at the fact that Kin was to the right of Sanosuke, blushing, and Tayuya would become a mess once she woke up in Kimimaro's arm.

(Ah, the power of hormones. Hope it never hits me as bad as it hit Kin and Tayuya.) Kidomaru thought to himself. Zaku and Dosu were having another one of their usual chats.

"What the hell!? Your sissy arm couldn't take my Air Cannons!!" "I bet you could never hit me with those little pop guns you call weapons." Boy. You could almost bet they were Naruto and Sasuke. "Do you guys feel that?" Kimimaro asked, as he stopped.

"I feel it." Dosu said, and the chakra they felt was malevolent and evil. And then, all of a sudden, it stopped being evil. The chakra was dark, but it wasn't killing evil. It was dark, but it was calm as well. "This wave of chakra. It's familiar. Almost like…" Dosu said, and he glanced at Kimimaro. "Mine." Kimimaro said.

"His?" Zaku asked, and then a strong wind picked up. "This wind, it isn't normal!" Sanosuke said. Then in front of all of them, a boy with long black hair, and a white version of the outfit Sephiroth from FF7 wears. "This chakra! It belongs to only one person." Kimimaro said. "No way." Zaku said, as the boy turned around, Sharingan Eyes blazing. "Sasuke…"

**ShadowRonin: Well I'll be damned!! Sasuke seems to have stumbled onto some power, and now things get real interesting. But now that leaves this question: When did Sasuke have all this power? Well that is a chapter you just have to read.**

**Next Chapter: Sasuke is getting ready to head out to Sound, but before he can leave, the Fallen Angels have attacked him, Kabuto, and Orochimaru. How will this fight fare? Find out on:**

**Chapter 32: Showdown!! Part 4: Sound Retreat!! Sasuke's New Chidori!!**


	32. Showdown: Part 4

**Yo!! The story is becoming more and more connected, as Sasuke is brought into the fight. No particular fight is going on before or after another. They all are happing at the same time more or less. Well, find out what happens on this chapter!!**

Chapter 32: Showdown!! Part 4: Sound Retreat!! Sasuke's New Chidori!!

"It seems that Xin knows of our intent on taking Sasuke to Oto." Kabuto said, as the Fallen Angels surrounded them. "How many?" Orochimaru asked. "Twenty." Sasuke said.

"7 each then. Sasuke will take six." Kabuto said. "When we are done, meet on top of the gates of The Sand Village. Oto is about 3 days Ninja Pace." Orochimaru said, and he disappeared. Kabuto ran along the gates, and Sasuke fled back into the village.

_(With Kabuto)_

Kabuto smirked, as he pulled out a curved kunai. These things were summons, correct? So that means one good smack, and it was dead. He turned in mid-air, and tossed a few senbon. One of them impaled them, and it turned to dust. "Ha! Like a summon!" Kabuto bragged. This would be easy.

_(With Sasuke)_

Sasuke looked like hell. He took out 2, but damnit, he had to roast them alive before they would stay down. If he lopped their heads off, they merely put them back on, and continued to fight. Sasuke had figured out why that was.

Their leader, Xin, must be close. When he was outside the village, these things weren't all that strong. When he felt a dark chakra battling another chakra, these things became hard to kill. He already had to use some of the Curse Mark's chakra because he wasted a bit trying to off these guys.

Even with increased speed and power, these things rose from every attack Sasuke sent at them. He even Chidori'd one, and it stood, despite the fact that it's lung and ribs were obliterated. At that time, Sasuke went into Curse Mark: Level 2. Sasuke was stronger and faster, but these things were stronger as well.

It was like fighting a bunch of Kabuto's Living Dolls.

These bastards are strong, so he would get stronger. Sasuke stood still, blood running down the side of his head and his right hand. He clenched his fist, and his eyes shot open.

"I WILL BECOME STRONGER!!" Sasuke screamed, and his Curse Mark began to glow white. Sasuke screamed in pain, as his wings covered him in a grey barrier. He then screamed, and a burst of chakra shot out. When the light dimmed, Sasuke stood with his hands next to his side, a serene look on his face.

His original clothes had been replaced with a white version of Sephiroth's outfit. (FF7) The large grey wings in his back was gone, and replaced with black angel wings. His hair had grown down to the middle of his back. "I'll show you the power of a true Fallen Angel." Sasuke said, as he pulled the Kusanagi forward, and his Chidori Current shot the blade so that it was now 100 inches long. (8 feet 4 inches.)

The blade crackeld with power, and Sasuke took one step forward.

_(With Orochimaru)_

Orochimaru had finished his enemies a long time ago, he was merely watching another fight. "Hm. Akatsuki has been here all along. I wonder what they have been up too." Orochimaru mused.

He would have a few choice words for them, (namely Itachi) but Itachi seemed to be fighting someone from Association 15. Itachi managed to blast the guy away, and turned towards Orochimaru.

Both held their looks, and Orochimaru unconsciously activated the Shadow Sharingan, causing Itachi's eyebrows to rise a little. Crimson Mangekyo Sharingan met against Pitch Black Shadow Sharingan, and both had competitive smirks.

"Be ready Itachi. Fate may have us working on the same side again." Orochimaru muttered, before he felt Sasuke's chakra. "Seems like Sasuke-kun is done." Orochimaru disappeared in a poof of leaves, leaving Itachi to his battle.

_(With Sasuke)_

Sasuke stood over the bones of the Fallen Angels, as he stood serene and calm. These guys were completely obliterated thanks to the new Chidori he learned.

Flashback:

Sasuke stood as the last four Fallen Angels stood across from him. Both of his fists were sparking with the power of the Chidori, and he smirked. "Time for you to face my new attack. I needed something to test it on." Sasuke said, as they charged.

He jammed his two hands into themselves, and the Chidori began to crackle uncontrollably. "Ready? Now!! CHIDORI FLASH!!" Sasuke screamed, as a beam of the bird sounding attack we all know and love blasted out of his hands. The bone men stood no chance, as they were blasted into a fine dust.

End.

That new attack Kakashi helped him develop matched that attack Naruto used on Koji, but there was a drawback. It was, despite the way it looked, a close combat move.

The beam got weaker as distance was attained, so he needed to be close to get the best results. Sasuke sighed, cracked his neck, and felt Orochimaru's chakra. The wings on his back disappeared in a blue flash of chakra, before he took off.

He stopped running when he couldn't feel Orochimaru's chakra anymore. (Bastard went and hid himself for some reason.) Sasuke concluded in his mind. "No way." Sasuke turned around, and saw who it was that said that.

"Sasuke." He recognized all these people. There were Orochimaru's minions from the Sound. Or they used to be. "Hn. I didn't expect to see you guys here." Sasuke said. "So Sasuke, what brings you here?" Sanosuke said. Sasuke didn't see him at all, until he appeared.

Sanosuke's face then darkened. "Go help the others on the front. Something bad is going to happen." Sanosuke said, and the ex-Sound Nin looked at him. "Tsunade can heal Tayuya, and they need your help." Sasuke said. He knew the look that Sanosuke had. They all nodded and disappeared, except Kin. She gave Sanosuke a worried look, before poofing into her own leaves.

"So, what is going on Sasuke?" Sanosuke asked. "I'm returning to Sound." Sasuke said, as he returned to normal. "Back to Sound? Betraying Konoha yet again?" Sanosuke said. "It isn't any of your business." Sasuke said. Sanosuke glared at him.

"You would become an enemy to Konoha, and I would become your enemy." Sanosuke said, as he slowly reached for his index card. "Did it ever occur to you that Sasuke had no choice?" Sanosuke looked behind him, as Orochimaru appeared.

"What do you mean, Orochimaru?" Sanosuke asked, as the Snake Sannin walked past him. "Sasuke is needed for the new threat." Orochiamru said. "You mean the Association? Why?" Sanosuke asked. "There are things that I need to teach him, before he is truly ready to fight them. The Legendary Sannin will be reborn." Orochimaru said.

"Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura." Sanosuke said, as he began to realize that Sound would be a temporary ally to Konoha. "Besides the Sannin, there are 7 people who carry the weight of the world." Kabuto said, as he reappeared next to Sasuke. "7? But there are only 3 Sannin." Sasuke said. "You are right. They are three, but a squad of 4 will be born when the Lightning Phoenix teams with the Golem Master, the The Demon of Eyes, and the Maiden Voice." Kabuto said, as Orochimaru and his group disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Sanosuke stood there, in thought, before his eyes widened. (Lightning Pheonix!? That's Koji!! The Golem Master is me!!) Sanosuke was stunned. (A group of 4!?) Sanosuke decided to think about it later. Fate would be interesting.

_(Outside Sand)_

"How sure are you about Koji's Team?" Orochimaru asked. "An oracle from a nearby village said so. She is praised with the accuracy of her readings, and I would hold her opinion in high regard." Kabuto said.

"Hm. I wonder how Koji will fare when the Wheels of Destiny turn." Orochimaru said, and Sasuke looked back into the village. (Don't die on me, Naruto, Sakura. And I hope that Koji can keep Sakura safe.)

**ShadowRonin: Son of a bitch!! Itachi is battling as well!? What the hell is going on in the village? Battles are going on all over the village, and they all intertwine in some way. Who's next? Well, you all know, I bet.**

**Next Chapter: The killer of the Uchiha. The heir to a dead clan. Itachi Uchiha is one known for having stained his hands with blood from an early age. But can even the might that his eyes wield be enough to take Association 15? Find out on:**

**Chapter 33: Showdown!! Part 5: Akatsuki vs. Association!**


	33. Showdown: Part 5

**Yo!! This chapter is one that will leave you dazed, confused, and begging for more! So, without further ado, here is the next chapter, starring everyone's favorite Akatsuki nin!!**

Chapter 33: Showdown!! Part 5: Akatsuki vs. Association!

Itachi stood across from T.K, as they prepared for their battle. (This isn't going to be easy.) They both thought to themselves. "Good luck." T.K said. "It won't be necessary." Itachi said, sliding his left hand back into his cloak.

They both stood, before Itachi's hand shot out holding 4 kunai, causing T.K to jump back. T.K's eyes then widened, and he jumped into the air as a small tornado shot from the ground.

(I didn't see the handseals at all.) T.K thought to himself. Itachi took one step forward, and shot into the sky after T.K. T.K's eyes widened in surprise, but he manged to match Itachi's speed. Both zipped across the rooftops, glints of steel clashing as they ran into each other. At some point, they ran right by Zaku, who looked confused.

_(Back with the other Akatsuki)_

"You think Itachi will be okay?" Kanzaki asked, as Deidara ruffled her silver hair. "Don't worry. I would expect you to worry about Itachi since you are new and all, but your worry is unfounded." Kisame said.

"Salmon-chan is right! Itachi is the strongest of us, besides the leader, yeah!" Deidara said. "Was that why he was the only one needed to get me to join?" Kanzaki said. "I guess." Deidara said. (The truth is Itachi is the only one who can handle you when you switch personalities.) Kisame thought to himself.

_(With Itachi)_

Itachi back flipped using his hand as T.K sped right to him. Itachi grunted, and began to block the fast attacks of T.K. This kid was amazingly fast. His Sharingan was having some kind of time trying to track his movements. This boy was really fast.

"I'm curious. How are you moving so fast?" Itachi said, as they held a conversation while battling. "Natural speed." T.K replied. Itachi cursed a little under his breath. He was using a miniscule amount of chakra to move like this, and here this person was, using no chakra at all, and moving so fast. Itachi hopped away as T.K fished out some kunai.

T.K was about to toss it, but an Earth Dragon appeared from a house, busting it to pieces. (An Earth Dragon!? When did he do seals?) T.K, luckily, was near a roof, so he smashed his fist into the roof, and broke off a huge piece of cement.

(Eh!?) Itachi gaped in his mind. He flipped it, and kicked it into the dragon, creating a giant dust storm. (Oh son of a bitch!!) Before I continue the story, I will begin to explain why this isn't considered out of context for Itachi.

Since it was in his mind, as long as his face is schooled, he can look blank while we see into his mind. I mean come on. Even kick-ass ninjas like Itachi have mental thoughts that no one would know about. Back to the story.

Itachi winced his eyes to keep from getting blind, (For those keeping with the manga, that statement is ironic, I know) and the dust was all T.K needed to smash his fist into Itachi's gut, and send him flying. Itachi flew, until he smashed through something made of ice.

He managed to land on his feet, before he took a look around. "Akatsuki!?" Itachi turned to the voice, and saw a boy with brown spikey hair, and glasses. "Why is the great Itachi Uchiha here?" He asked, and T.K appeared.

"And you brought a friend." He said in a smart tone. "Hn." Itachi replied. Across from T.K, on the other side of the Ice Dome, another member of Association 15 appeared. "T.K!? You are here!?" He asked. "Akatsuki." T.K replied. "You are fighting them as well?" Itachi asked, sort of. "Hn." The boy replied.

"Great to see you. Now, let's kill both of them!" The other member said, his dark blue hair playing with the wind. "Oi, Itachi-san. I'm not questioning your power or anything, but I'm not sure you can take both of them." The brown haired youth said. "I can't." Itachi said.

"Then, how are you about teaming up? I may not be anywhere in your league, but I can at least help." He asked. "Just stay out of my way." Itachi said. "And you stay out of mone." Sadly, that is as close to okay as either side is going to get.

_(Outside Ice Dome)_

Deidara and the rest were running along the rooftops, in the direction of Itachi and his opponent. They then stopped when they felt three different chakras, and hid their own.

"Okay, nee-chan! I'm ready to defend the Village!!" Kisame had a feeling he heard that voice, before Kanzaki put a small hole in the roof, and peeked inside. "Hey guys! Look inside." Kanzaki said, and they peeked in.

"Alright!! Full power!!" The tanned looking boy said. "Ah. That's that boy." Kisame said. "He's the one that Shiro Masamune trains?" Deidara asked. "He could be a problem according to Leader-sama." Kanzaki muttered. "I got him." Deidara said, as he slipped into his bag of magic clay.

He pulled quite a bit out, let his hands do their thing, and created about 10 spiders with C2 explosive power. "This should be enough." Deidara said, as he dropped them into the toy store.

"Hey, Amazon, nee-chan! Look at these cool spider toys." "Those look familiar." "Weird. It seems to be made of clay." "CLAY!?" "What's wrong, Sakura?" Before any reply was made, there was a big explosion, and the toy store was leveled.

Deidara, Kisame, and Kanzaki were able to hop away, and watch from another roof. "Ooh!! Pretty Fireworks!!" Kanzaki said. "Baka." Both Deidara and Kisame said. "That was too easy though, yeah." Deidara said. "You're right." All three turned around, and saw the one they were trying to kill.

"I'm not dead."

The nin said, smirking. "Who is he?" Kanzaki asked. "His name is Koji Hyosuke." Kisame said, walking in front of the other two. "You know me?" Koji asked. "We have met before." Kisame said. "Right. You were with that short dude, the one with the red eyes." Koji said. "Funny. I wouldn't comment on his lack of height around him." Kisame said. "Why? He'll hop up, just to pop me in my chest?" Koji replied, and Kisame actually chuckled.

Both then donned serious looks. "You know you owe me your head for that stunt back in Konoha a few months back." Kisame said. "I know. But I'm stronger than last time. You won't get my head without a fight." Koji said, as he aimed his right pointer at Kisame. "You saying you can win?" Kisame asked.

"Nope. Saying I have a slim chance is good enough for me." Koji said. Before the battle of the giants could commence, there was a huge explosion, and both warriors were engulfed in it.

Itachi ran along the ground. It was luck that his fire attack combined with an Exploding Tag blasted the weird Ice Dome that he was stuck in, but he wondered if he got those two Association Nin. When he looked back, T.K was charging. (Guess not.) Itachi mused, as he slid, and kicked T.K, blasting him away.

He sighed, and felt someone watching him. He turned to look on the roofs, and spotted Orochimaru, smirking. (He is here as well?) Itachi thought, as Orochimaru's yellow eyes turned black with 3 red commas in them.

Crimson Mangekyo Sharingan clashed with Onyx Shadow Sharingan, and both held their gazes. (Funny. Neither one noticed they activated their eye powers.) Orochimaru smirked, and then disappeared, while Itachi deactivated his Mangekyo, and scratched his eyes.

That one moment was all T.K needed. He reappeared, catching Itachi off guard, and kicking him dead in the gut. Itachi floated in the air, before T.K kicked him again, and he flew into a house. Itachi felt some blood come up, and spit up some blood.

(Shit. My insides have been messed up.) Itachi mused. "You lose." T.K said, as he slowly walked to Itachi. Before he could take anymore steps, he stopped, as Kanzaki appeared in front of him, protecting Itachi from him.

"Between us." T.K said. "Kanzaki, get out of the way." Itachi said coldly. "…No." Kanzaki said, just as coldly. Deidara and Kisame's eyes narrowed. They could feel the air become really intense. "You are the one who saved me, Itachi-kun. I won't allow you to die." Kanzaki said sadly, before she closed her eyes.

"You WILL leave now. If not, you will DIE!!" Kanzaki screamed, incredibly cold, as her eyes shot open, and her Tarogan was activated.

T.K was a little caught off guard. Her brown eyes had turned pure white, with a vertical black slit dead in the middle. She was glaring, with her hands at her side, in a stance similar to Itachi's aloof stance, but she looked different.

Instead of the beautiful woman that T.K caught a glance at, she looked like a warrior, ready to fight.

T.K held a wary look, before he nodded. "Are you ready?" T.K asked. Kanzaki held a smirk, before she slid into the Tiger Fist Stance. "Question is, are YOU ready?" Kanzaki asked, before T.K smirked. In the blink of an eye he was gone.

Kanzaki slid back, and blocked the attack form behind. She then grabbed his wrist, and slammed her shoulder into his chest, blasting him back. He slid along the ground, before he launched into the air, and laned on the side of a roof, and blasted after her.

She ducked under his kick, and tried to sweep kick him. He jumped over it, and she continued spinning, and rammed her elbow into his gut. He flew back, but the moment his feet toched the ground, he disappeared in a show of intense speed.

(Itachi never moved that fast!) Kanzaki thought in her mind, before a heel to the jaw sent her into the air. He flipped to his feet, and hopped after her. Her eyes widened, before he appeared above her, and smashed his fist into her. She flew to the ground, and hit it really hard.

T.K landed, and shrugged. He wanted her out of the way. Itachi was the one who he needed to kill. The rest he could handle one at a time. Itachi, if he was at full strength, would be impossible to kill. One slip in his defense, and he had struck him hard enough to mess with his innards.

This was a chance he wasn't going to blow.

He towered over the Uchiha, and sighed. "Sorry." T.K muttered, before Itachi's eyes shot open. T.K was trapped in his gaze, and the world soon took to the colors of black and red.

"You are now in my world. The world of the Tsukuyomi. In this world, I control time and space." T.K regained his senses, and realized he was tied to a chair. "In this world, I am god." Itachi reappeared in front of T.K, wielding a Katana.

"For the next 72 hours, you will be hacked and slashed by this katana." And so, Itachi began his torture, cutting away at T.K, as he groaned in pain. Then, T.K regained himself, and saw that he was getting slashed.

(How!? If that's me, then what am I?) T.K thought to himself. "Don't fret. You will feel the pain of both of your selves." Itachi said, as the cutting continued. (Ng. This is bad. I have no choice but to use that jutsu.) T.K closed his eyes, as the world was covered in a blinding darkness.

"What is this?" Itachi asked. "This is the one thing that all Association 15 members have in common. The use of the Shadow Realm." T.K actually used a sentence, as the world then looked to be a purple. T.K smirked, and his bindings just fazed away.

"Seems like my jutsu cancels your Tsukuyomi, but that's the good news. The bad news, is that both of our chakra will drop to bare minimal. For you, that's really bad. For me, just means I will tire a little easier."

When they both returned to the real world, Itachi's eyes had turned from Sharingan Red to Onyx. To make things worse, his vision was blurry.

"You lose, Itachi Uchiha." T.K said, before a fist nearly took his head off. He ducked under Kanzaki's fist, and hopped away. "Hey, orange kid, yeah!" T.K looked up, to see the blond guy in the Akatsuki robes looking down at him.

"Deidara of the Exploding Clay." T.K said. "That's me! I would enjoy watching this fight, but we have all been summoned for something. So, unless you really think you can take three of us at once, I suggest you leave." Deidara said, and T.K weighed his options.

(He has a point. One-on-one is easier than an all out battle.) T.K merely shrugged submissively, knowing he was beat. He turned to walk away, before he felt Kanzaki's chakra flare up.

"Don't think we are finished, you bastard!" T.K turned, his hands in his pockets, and regarded Kanzaki lazily. "It's done." T.K said, and Kanzaki glared. "Kanzaki!" She stopped in her tracks, as Itachi stood to his feet shakily.

"We have been summoned by Leader-sama." Itachi said. She turned to him, and her Tarogan eyes de-activated. "Itachi-kun." Kanzaki said, as she walked slowly towards him. "I am fine." "Liar!!" Itachi didn't say anything.

"Why?" Kanzaki asked. "What?" Itachi replied, though no emotion showed on his face. "Why didn't you mention that you were going blind?" This time, Itachi's eyes widened a slight bit, and surprise showed on his face for maybe half a second.

"Whatever is wrong with me is none of your concern." Itachi said coldly, before the unthinkable happened. She raised her hand, and her palm ran straight into Itachi's cheek, leaving a red mark.

(She slapped him!?) Deidara screamed in his mind, knowing Itachi. She was asking to die. Itachi growled dangerously, and if he had any chakra, would have releashed a dangerous amount of killing intent.

"If you wish to continue living, you wil-" Itachi was cut off when she embraced him, cutting his sentence short from the surprise he had on his face. "Itachi-kun. You aren't alone. I wish to help you. Is that so hard to ask?" Kanzaki said, as her body began to glow blue. Her healing chakra flowed through her body, into Itachi's eyes, as he felt her chakra flow into him.

He visibly relaxed, and sighed. "Foolish girl. Emotions will get you killed one day." Itachi muttered, but did nothing to move from her. "I know." Kanzaki replied.

Deidara and Kisame smirked. "It's amazing how one girl can change someone like that Mary-Sue-like prick, yeah." Deidara said. "I will agree on one part, but Itachi isn't a Mary-Sue." Kisame said, and Deidara gave him a confused look.

"How so? The guy is over-powered compared to us. He can't kill us outright, but he is stronger than most of us." Deidara said. "He has one fatal flaw, and that's his eyes. Remember, he goes blind when he uses his Mangekyo Sharingan." Kisame said, and Deidara thought about it, and shrugged.

"Touche. Point for you, Salmon-chan." Deidara said, and Kisame smirked. "Oi! Stop breaking the fourth wall!!" An omniscient voice screamed from the heavens, causing Kisame and Deidara to look a little confused, before they shrugged as thought nothing happened.

"All right. Leader has waited long enough." Kisame said, as he and Deidara disappeared. Itachi waited till Kanzaki was done, before he opened his eyes, and was content that his vision had been restored. "I gave you enough chakra for you to Body Flick back to where Leader-sama is." Kanzaki said, and Itachi nodded. "Let's go." Itachi said, and both of them disappeared in poofs of smoke.

**ShadowRonin: Well damn. This girl has some super powerful healing chakra, and she has warmed up to our dear Itachi. But how will this play out in the long run? Well, that's for you to find out.**

**Next Chapter: His life is unknown. His existence a mystery. His past is one of bloodshed. He survived the purge in the Bloody Mist. Shinji Hikari. Can he defeat his opponent, Blade? Find out on;**

**Chapter 34: Showdown!! Part 6: Shinji's Duel with Destiny!!**


	34. Showdown: Part 6

**Yo!! Shinji is the new OC on the block, and he isn't merely some one arc pony! He plays an important role later on, but for now, let's watch him do battle!!**

Chapter 34: Showdown!! Part 6: Shinji's Duel with Destiny!!

Blade pulled the Senbon needle from his mouth, and Shinji twirled his Water Katana. "Prepare to die, Blade!" Shinji said, and he charged Blade, who regarded Shinji with no concern.

Shinji swung with all the power he had, and Blade raised his Senbon. Both weapons clashed, and chakra pulsed out. "I can defeat you using only this Senbon." Blade said. "I bet!!" Shinji said, as he pushed Blade back, and hopped away. "You need help?" Zabuza asked.

"No! He challenged my strength! I will beat him!" Shinji screamed. "That's a load of horseshit." Zabuza said. "What is!?" Shinji screamed, his eyes white. "You actually believing you can beat him." Zabuza said. "Why can't I!?" Shinji screamed, his eyes still white.

"Because he's about as strong as I am, and I know for a fact that you can't take me." Zabuza said, smirking under those bandages. **"YOU WANT TO TRY ME, NO EYEBROWS!?"** Shinji screamed, and Zabuza glared at him with white eyes.

"**YOU WISHING TO DIE, 4 EYES!?" "THAT WAS A LOW BLOW, YOU RE-ANIMATED ZOMBIE!!"** Both nin glared at each other, electricity shooting from their eyes, as Blade chuckled. "Ah, the weakling of the team is trying to prove his worth." Blade said, and Shinji turned his attention from Zabuza to Blade. "You want to repeat that!?" Shinji screamed.

"Every team has that one member that isn't the strongest. He is the one who is sacrificed, and left behind." Blade said. "Are you saying that one nin is me?" Shinji asked in a dead calm, his dark brown hair pooling over his eyes.

"Of course! Look at who your teammates are. Zabuza Momochi is the Demon of the Mist. His face in the Bingo Books are under the label A-Rank Rogue Nin. Haku there is a survivor of the Mist Bloodline Purge. His Kekkei Genkai is exclusive to him and him only, and he has mastered it to the point where he can stay on par with someone like Kakashi or Zabuza." Blade then took it upon himself to chuckle.

"And then there's you. You have no recollection of your past, and the only thing you have going for you is that crazy eye power of yours." Blade said. Zabuza was about to retort, but Shinji held his hand up. "It hurts, but he's right."

Zabuza and Haku looked at Shinji, whose hair still in his face.

"He is right. In comparison to my teammates, I would understand why I am the weakling. My teammates aren't some pushovers. But I won't allow you to say that I am so pathetic in comparison to them that I can be dropped when the mission takes a turn for the worse!" Shinji's eyes shot from his hair, as he leveled a determined look. "Prepare yourself. You will regret calling me weak!!" Shinji then released his Water Katana, and charged, trying Taijutsu. Blade chuckled, before he pulled his senbon in front of him, holding it like a sword.

Shinji charged, and jumped into the air. He spun, and tried a roundhouse kick. Blade blocked it with his free hand, and Shinji brought his hands around. "Water Style: Water Pistol Jutsu!" Shinji said, as a powerful barrage of bullets shot out of his finger, hitting Blade, and sending him flying. Shinji landed on his feet, and smirked. "Sent your ass flying bitch! Who's the weakling now!?" Shinji screamed, and smirked.

Zabuza and Haku watched the battle from atop a roof. "Do you think he can win?" Haku asked. "I believe in our loser of a teammate." Zabuza said, and Haku smiled. "I hope he survives. It hurts to lose a brother." Haku said, and Zabuza glanced at him.

"A brother?" Zabuza then chuckled a little. "The life of a Shinobi isn't for you. You are way too nice." Zabuza said, and Haku actually smirked. Both then stopped their conversation when they felt two powerful chakras making their way towards Shinji.

Haku instincfully put his hands into a seal, and the air dropped in degrees. "He doesn't want our help." Zabuza said. "I know, but he would appreciated a one-on-one fight." Haku said.

Shinji felt the air get colder, and he frowned. (They said they wouldn't inerfere!) Shinji thought angrily, as the Demonic Ice Mirrors surrounded him. "Hn. Figures they would-" Shinji was interrupted when one of the mirrors shattered, and a man in a black robe with red clouds on it.

"Akatsuki!?" " Shinji said in surprise, and the man looked at him, crimson eyes looking at him with caution. (Son of a- he's here!?) "Why is the infamous Itachi Uchiha here?" Shinji said, and he noticed another man with orange spikey hair.

"And I see you brought a friend." Shinji said in a smart tone, receiving a 'Hn' from Itachi. Across from the orange haired nin, Blade appeared. "T.K!? You are here!?" Blade screamed. "Akatsuki." T.K, as Blade called him, said.

(Shit! He's back!) Shinji screamed in his mind. "You are fighting them as well?" Itachi asked, sort of. Shinji gave a 'Hn' to prevent a comment he was about to make. "Great to see you. Now let's kill them both." Blade said, as the wind picked up, and their hair played in the wind.

"Oi, Itachi-san. I'm not questioning your power or anything, but I don't think you can take both of them." Shinji said. "I can't." Itachi replied. "So, how are you about teamming up? I may not be anywhere in your league, but I can at least help." Shinji bargained. "Just stay out of my way." Itachi said, causing Shinji to sneer at him. "And you stay out of mine." Both took that as a silent agreement.

Blade and T.K charged at the same time, forcing both nin to assume defensive stances. Blade and T.K swung, and both doubtful allies dodged away. Itachi ran inside the dome, and Shinji nodded to him.

Blade charged Shinji, but instead of getting to attack, Itachi appeared, and kicked him in the chest. Blade flew back, and Shinji turned around, to dodge the kick T.K attempted. Shinji jumped, and ran his hand across one of the mirrors, smirking as he could feel water. He made hand seals, and landed on a mirror.

"Water Style: Water Vortex Jutsu!" A giant blast of water shot towards T.K and Blade, but both managed to get out of the way. What they weren't expecting was for Itachi to appear from nowhere, and clothesline both of them. He tossed them both aside, and pulled out a few kunai, throwing them.

T.K and Blade found that none of them were even remotely close, and one nearly hit Shinji in the foot. "Hey! Watch it, you idiot!!" Shinji screamed, not thinking about who he was talking to. Itachi turned to look at him, and had a chilling sneer-like look.

"Don't worry. You won't be alive anyway." Itachi said, and Shinji took a look at the kunai along the mirrors. The kunai had Exploding Tags on them, and Shinji looked back to see Itachi making handsigns. "Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu." Itachi said, and a flurry of fireballs shot in all directions, in slow motion, Shinji had a stunned look, T.K's eyes widened a little, and Blade blinked in surprise. The moment the flames hit the tags, Shinji had white eyes. "SON OF A-" Insert large ass explosion.

As the dust from the attack settled, Shinji clambered out of some debris, cursing. (I should have figured that ass-hole would do something like that!) Shinji seethed in his mind. He felt another chakra, and began to glare.

"Hey, fucktard! You better be happy I'm not dead!" Shinji screamed, but it went from anger to surprise when on the ground wasn't Itachi, but Koji instead. "Hyosuke? What are you doing here?" Shinji muttered to himself. Koji groaned, before his eyes opened a little.

"Hey, Shinji." Shinji looked behind him, to see Zabuza and Haku. "What was that?" Haku asked. "Did you both know that Akatsuki was here?" Shinji asked, and both nin's eyes widened a little. "That's the group Kisame Hoshigaki is part of." Zabuza said.

"You know him?" Shinji asked. "He's a part of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist." Zabuza said, and Shinji's eyes widened. "Oh shit. That sounds bad." Shinji said. "You have no idea." Koji muttered, bringing attention back to him. "I was about to take that giant walking pile of sushi on before a giant explosion engulfed both of us." Koji said, getting to his feet. Koji smirked, and Shinji smirked back.

"Glad to see you are alive." Koji said. "Likewise." Shinji said. "There you are!" Koji and the others turned, to see Sakura, and Shizune there. Before Koji could get a word in, Sakura had him in a hug, and Koji sighed. "I'm not going to die everytime I get outside your peripheral vision." Koji said, as he patted Sakura in the head.

"Hey Hyosuke, you need to get a room." Shinji said, smirking. "You are merely jealous over the fact that you will die a virgin." Koji said, smirking as Shinji's smirk turned into a scowl. "Shinji, knock it off." Zabuza said, and Sakura's eyes widened in fear. "You! You are alive!?" Sakura screamed. "If Haku is alive, what makes you think I wasn't?" Zabuza asked, and looked on amused as she hid behind Koji, who gave Zabuza a wary look.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on hurting your girlfriend." Zabuza said, as Sakura turned the same shade as her hair color. "I would hope so." He neither denied, or confirmed his claim, merely sidestepped it masterfully. "So, you live?" The voice that said that came from the Kazekage Tower, and they all brought their attention to it.

On top of it, stood Xin, looking like he was in a battle. Koji glared at him, and everyone noticed the sudden tension. "So, you dare to show your face?" Koji muttered darkly. Xin smirked, and Koji scowled even fiercer.

"You tried to pit me and Sakura against each other, and now you stroll around as though you own the place?" Koji said, as electricity began to roll off his body. "Why yes. Yes I can. Does that make you mad? Does it make you want to kill me?" Xin said, taunting Koji. Sakura and everyone looked to Koji, who was shaking in anger.

"No, it doesn't make me angry. It makes me FURIOUS!!" Koji screamed, as he leveled an incredibly cold glare at Xin, who merely smirked. Electricity began to fly off him, and they could feel the raw power Koji had. "Because of that little stunt you pulled, I nearly killed someone precious to me. I nearly gave my life. Now, because of those actions, the only judgement you get is DEATH!!" Koji screamed, as lightning flashed off him, his hair had transformed.

The murderous intent Koji had rolling off of him was menacing, and the younger nin felt like they couldn't breathe. Shizune's eyes had widened from the sheer anger Koji had, while Zabuza looked on impassively. Then, the lightning rolling off his body flashed incredibly bright, causing Sakura's Gamble shirt to fly off.

The moment it landed on the ground, the glow Koji emitted went away. His regular clothes had been replaced by a dark blue T-shirt, and his shorts were still the same. On the back of the shirt was a gold phoenix. "What? What is happening?" Sakura asked. Koji didn't look human. He had the ferocity of a wild animal, and he looked feral. With an inhuman roar, he charged, as electric wings shot out of his back. This fight would be amazing.

**ShadowRonin: Oh snap!! Koji is back in the picture and he is going to rip Xin a new one. Or is he going to get clobbered? Well, you know the drill.**

**Next Chapter: He leads Association 15. He is one of the Sannin of the Cloud Village. He is also one of the strongest nin in the land. His name is Xin. How did it come to where he is now? Find out on:**

**Chapter 35: Showdown!! Part 7: A Tale of Two Sannin!**


	35. Showdown: Part 7

**Yo!! The time is now. Two Sannin, one city, one large scale S-Level Duel to the death. Xin vs. Shiro. Ready!? FIGHT!!**

Chapter 35: Showdown!! Part 7: A Tale of Two Sannin!

Xin and Shiro stood across from each other, both smirking. "So, Shiro Masamune decides to fight himself?" Xin said, tauntingly. "As interesting as Xin Hiwatari deciding to fight instead of sending one of his minions." Shiro said, and both smirked.

"Seems like the Lightning Cat and the Tri Edge are about to get it on." Shiro said, and Xin nodded. "No summonings?" Xin asked. "Anything but Summoning Jutsus or moves that branch from Summoning Jutsus. (Example: Kakashi and Koji's Summoning Earth Style: Fang Pursuit Jutsu or Jiraiya's Summoning Jutsu: Bringing Down The House.) You know, the usual rules." Shiro said.

"Well then, you ready?" Xin asked, as his Chakra Sabers then shot out two other blades, creating a curved saber with three blades on each saber. "I hope to put this rivalry down once and for all." Shiro said, as electricity began to roll off his body. Both of them then disappeared, and in their place was a wicked explosion.

Xin appeared in mid air, and swiped his Crimson Sabers, and Shiro blocked it. He flew in the air from the force, but landed on the ground quite nicely. He brought his hand up, and a Lightning Gun shot out of his finger.

Xin blocked it, but it forced him into the sky. He turned, and the blast flew right by him, but Shiro wasn't done yet. Making hand seals, a Lightning Dragon shot from his palms, and charged at Xin. Xin smirked, and began to make handseals.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Dome Jutsu!" Xin said, as a dome of electricity appeared, and took the Dragon. The ensuing explosion shook the tower, but neither nin were hurt. Shiro looked around when he couldn't feel Xin's chakra. He heard a whizzing sound, and jumped as a few shuriken.

As he was in the air, he realized the shuriken were probably a distraction. "Earth Style: Earth Spire Jutsu!!" And Xin delivered with a giant spike lauching from the ground. Shiro erected (anyone who laughs is a pervert. But no shame, because I chuckled too!) a shield of electric chakra, and he rolled along the spike.

He twisted in mid air, and slid along the spike, as Xin ran along the spike, wielding his blades. Both clashed in the middle, and his electric palms clashed with the blades. Each strike created a pulse of power, and the spike slowly began to shatter.

Then, Shiro hopped back, and ran along, as Xin brought his right hand back wielding his blade. "Plasma Thrust!" "Fire Slash!!" Shiro's electric palm smashed into Xin's blade that was covered in Fire Chakra, and the explosive power they created shattered the spire, causing both of them to disappear.

As the dust from the spire went away, Shiro slid along the ground, and put his hand into a seal that was a Kumo specialty. "Lightning Style: Plasma Clone Jutsu!!" Shiro said, as he created 5 clones of nothing but pure electric chakra.

"Fan out, and find Xin." Shiro said, and the clones nodded, before they took off. He dusted himself off, and sighed. "I'm getting too old for battling the powers of evil." Shiro muttered. He walked around, and then he felt it. One of his Plasma Clones was offed. He smirked, and took off. When he arrived, his other clones were already there.

"Any of you find him?" Shiro asked, and they all shook their heads. Before he could muse on this, a lightning disk flew, and lopped them all in half. Xin smirked from the house he launched it from, but then sighed when all four disappeared. He turned around, and brought one of his sabers up to block a chakra charged punch aimed at his head.

He ducked back when Shiro tried to kick him, and got a clean hit with his Chakra Tri-Edge, causing Shiro to fly into the wall. He charged Shiro, but was launched back when Shiro caught him with his Lightning Gun Jutsu. He flew out the house, and recovered enough to launch into the sky, and disappear.

Shiro ran out, and looked around. He closed his eyes to feel Xin's chakra signature, but with all the battles inside the village, he picked up Tayuya's, Koji's, and the Shadow Trio's chakras instead. Growling in frustration, he pulled out two kunai, and began to spin them on his pointer fingers.

(Bad habit.) Shiro thought to himself, as he turned around, and blocked Xin's attack with both of the kunai. He would have blocked it with his hands since Xin's Chakra Tri-Edge is blunt, but since he was using his Fire Chakra to power the blade, he would have burned himself. The kunai didn't hold for long, but long enough to get Shiro away from a potentially deadly blow.

Xin tailed Shiro as he hopped away. Shiro made hand seals, as Xin did. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" "Earth Style: Rock Wall Jutsu!" Xin's stream of fire crashed into Shiro's Rock Wall, and the wall held for a few seconds, before Shiro's Lightning Gun blasted through it and the fire, hitting Xin.

Xin slid along the ground, and hopped away when Shiro charged him. Xin landed, and brought his Tri-Edge up when Shiro charged with his right and left hand sparking with Electric Chakra. Shiro threw his right fist, and Xin brought up Tri-Edge to block it. Shiro caught the blade, and smirked when Xin's eyes widened.

"Plasma Thrust!" Shiro brought his left hand forward, and smashed it where Xin's lungs should be. "Seems like the winner has been chosen." Shiro said, and then his eyes widened when Xin began to smirk. "You are right. You lose." Xin said, and grabbed Shiro's arm, the one sticking through his chest. "I am only a Plasma Clone." Xin said, and Shiro's eyes widened to disbelief.

"And on my back is an Exploding Tag. See if you can survive this, Lightning Cat." Xin said. Shiro tried to pull out, but Xin's grip was too strong, and Xin's smirk grew. "Boom." And with that, the Exploding Tag blew up.

Xin watched the explosion with both humor and anticipation. (I know damn well something like that wouldn't kill my rival so easily. The Masamune Failure isn't that weak.) Xin thought, as their past came to light.

Flashback:

Age 15:

Xin always knew the Masamune Clan were like royalty to Kumo, but they say every clan has its black sheep. That was his teammate, and rival, Shiro Masamune.

The Masamune Clan dabbled in Taijutsu with their Tiger Fist Style, but this kid could barely learn the style itself. Instead, he learned Ninjutsu, and became proficient in it. And he even used his Tarogan in a weird way.

Tarogan, or the Tiger Eye, was used along with the Tiger Fist to find an opponents weak points, and strike them constantly, and consistently. Instead of using it like that, he used it to analyze his opponents movements, and think up a strategy for it. Truly the black sheep.

Even at age 15, both Shiro and Xin kept their hair long. Xin wore the standard out fit for a Kumo Jounin, which consisted of the standard outfit, except the sweats were a lighter blue, and the Flak Jacket was grey.

Shiro had a white chinese style shirt for boys, and a black pair of shorts. Xin wore his headband on his forehead, while Shiro used his as something like a hair tie to keep his long wild hair in check, so it flowed back instead of all over the place.

"Hey Shiro, what made you decide to not be like the rest of your family?" Xin asked, as they both had finished sparring for the day. "I want to be remembered not as another member of a royal clan, but as my own person! In order to do that, I need to learn how to do things my own way." Shiro said, and Xin shrugged.

"That's a good point, I suppose." Xin said. "The only thing that idiot will be remembered as is the idiot of the clan." Both turned, and weren't surprised to see their Kunoichi teammate.

Asuka Shikimori, like Xin, had lost her family at a young age since her parents were ninjas. She is a combat Medic Nin, who could also use Ninjutsu, and was proficient in Genjutsu. She was also an early bloomer, with a C-Cup at Age 12.

Contrary to what their friends, and other nin from the village thought, she had the most chakra of the three. Xin was second, and Shiro was a very close third.

Asuka's platinum blond hair was tied into two ponytails, which were braided. Her blue eyes accentuated her features. She also wore the Kumo Flak Jacket, but wore a blue jean skirt, and a black shirt under the jacket. She wore her headband around her forehead.

"Che! No one asked you!" Shiro said, glaring at her with white eyes, as she sneered at him. "In my mind, you are the wimp!" Asuka said, and Shiro jumped to his feet. "You want to go now, bitch!?" Shiro screamed, and she glared back with white eyes. "Trying to start something you can't finish!?" "Can't finish!? I could kick your ass in 1 minute flat!!" Xin decided to leave. Those two could go all day with their bickering.

He would have accused them of using their arguments to flirt, but Asuka already had a boyfriend, whom Shiro said he envied and pitied at the same time. When asked why both, he said quote "I envy him because her figure is to die for, but I pity him because Asuka's attitude is violent and unpredictable."

That statement evoked nothing but sweatdrops from anyone that heard it. But no one denied that it wasn't true.

End.

"I still wonder what Asuka is up to these days." Xin said to himself. "Last I heard, she was traveling the world." Xin turned, and wasn't surprised to see Shiro standing there. "Her boyfriend was killed in a mission by someone in a black robe with red clouds." Shiro said.

"Akatsuki got him." Xin said. "He learned too much, and he wasn't allowed to live." Shiro said. "Kotaro was a strong nin though. Not only able to beat any of us on occasion, but he was also with us on some of his missions." Xin said. "She started a little gang with the intent on destroying Akatsuki." Shiro said.

"She did, did she?" Xin said. "Calls themselves the Amazons." Shiro said. "Heh. All the Kumo Sannin became founders of groups. My Association 15, your Shadow Blades, and her Amazons." Xin said. "Sadly today, one founding father is going to die." Shiro said, as he activated his Tarogan.

"I guess that our stroll down memory lane is over." Xin said, as he pulled out his two Chakra Tri-Edge sabers. "Looks like it." Shiro said.

Both nin knew it would come to this. They knew that it would come to a fight like this the moment when Xin left the village with the intent of getting stronger abroad. They didn't expect that he would somehow begin to try to take over the world.

"So, what caused this change of outlook? The Xin I knew wasn't someone who was power hungry?" Shiro asked. "Heh. Actually, it happened a few years ago." Xin said.

Flashback:

Age 40.

Xin had found an old set of ruins near The Village Hidden in the Stars as he traveled abroad. He really shoud have returned to the village at some point, but he REALLY loved traveling the world.

He was about to leave the ruins, when a bright light eminated from the ruins, calling his attention. He stood in awe, and never realized he was walking towards it.

When he stopped, he came to a wall with a gold eye on it. (Weird looking wall.) Xin thought to himself. He brought his hand to it, and felt a serious jolt of energy. He opened his eyes, and was scared when he saw dark energy swiveling up his right arm, and focusing towards his chest.

His screams of fear didn't stop the thing from converging on his chest, and after a few seconds, the darkness covered his body, as he began to cackle in madness. His eyes opened slowly, and instead of the eyes of a warrior looking to better himself, he had the vicious look of a cold villain.

"I see that the one who use to be known as Xin has been controlled." A dark voice said, and Xin turned to the sky, as a demon-like being appeared. Dark cape floated off the ground as the being leveled him with his stare. Dark red eyes met with silver and gold, as the being began to chuckle. "So, this is the being that has fallen into my grasp?" The demon said, and Xin held a look of neutrality.

"Like hell." That caught the demon's attention. "You say you are not under my wrath?" He asked. "Of course not! The only difference is that your weird powers are running through me. I want answers!" Xin said, as he pulled out one of his Chakra Sabers. "Trying to fight against the one who has imprisoned you is not wise." The demon said as he flicked his wrist, and a powerful dark energy began to burn inside of Xin's body, making him scream in agony.

He dropped to his knees, and the pain lifted. "What the hell was that?" Xin asked. "That was the power that binds you to me. Since you are my new vassel, I will be using you for my own gain." He said. "And that is?" Xin asked. "The takeover of the entire universe!" The demon replied in a childish tone.

"You are mad to think that I would help with that." Xin said with a certain sting, which was reverberated throughout his body when the demon shocked him again. "You have no choice. Help with my cause, or everyone you love and cherish will die, along with you!" The demon said.

"Che. Good luck. I have no loved ones." Xin said. "How about those two people in your village? Your old teammates?" The demon asked, and Xin's eyes narrowed in anger. "….Alright. You got me. I get this done, and you leave my friends alone." Xin said.

"That's not how it works. I conquer the known galaxy, and you are merely my vassel." The demon said, as it disappeared, and flew into Xin's body. "May at least know the name of my jailor?" Xin asked with venom. "My name is Yami. Nothing more, nothing less."

End.

"I see. An evil demon has lodged itself into your soul. That doesn't sound fun." Shiro said, and Xin smiled. "Sorry it's come to this, old friend." Xin said, and Shiro smiled back. "It would be my honor to end your pain." Shiro said, and they both took stances.

Before either could begin their battle, someone in the ANBU attire for the Cloud Village appeared in front of them. "Shiro-sama! A message for you!" The ANBU said, before he turned his attention to Xin.

"No way! Xin-sama is here as well!?" He asked. "That's not important. What does the young bastard want?" Xin asked. The Third Raikage was a personal friend to the Kumo Sannin, and they all knew that if that over-zealous smart-ass had something that ANBU needed to get him to, then it was serious.

"Shiro-sama. Your family. They have all been slaughtered." He said. Xin's eyes narrowed, while Shiro's widened in surprise and fear.

(The Masamune family? Has been killed!?) Shiro thought to himself. "The whole family?" Xin asked with a little bit of surprise. "Hai. The whole clan. The only ones left are you, Shiro-sama, and Kanzaki Masamune, who hasn't been in the village for the last couple of years." He said.

"She is with Akatsuki." Shiro said, and Xin gave him a bored look. "She probably fell for some boy. She is headstrong like her grandpa." Xin said, and Shiro gave him a half-glare. "Our fight will have to wait." Shiro said, as him and the ANBU disappeared. Xin sighed in irritation.

"_Trying to get yourself killed isn't going to stop your fate." _Yami said in an evil tone, and Xin sneered. (You said if I disobeyed your orders, I was to be hurt. Killed in battle trying to accomplish your goal means I die for your cause. Your magic won't affect me.) Xin replied.

"_Arrogant bastard!" _"Maybe I am, but I am a witty arrogant bastard." Xin said, before he brought his attention to a small group of people. (Hn. Hyosuke is still kicking.) Xin thought to himself.

"So, you live?" Xin said loud enough to get the boy's attention. Sure enough, he gave him a chilling glare, which is what he expected. "So, you dare show your face?" Koji muttered darkly, and scowled even more when Xin began to smirk even more.

"You tried to pit me and Sakura against each other, and now you stroll around as thought you own the place?" Koji said, and Xin noticed the electricity rolling off his body. (Kid has a short fuse. It'll get him killed.) Xin thought to himself, deciding to push his buttons. "Why yes. Yes I can. Does it make you mad? Does it make you want to kill me?" Xin asked, knowing the answer, and pleased to see him shaking in anger.

"No, it doesn't make me angry. It makes me FURIOUS!!" Koji screamed, and leveled a glare that even made Xin shiver a little. "Because of that little stunt you pulled, I nearly killed someone precious to me. I nearly gave my life. Now, because of those actions, the only judgement you get is DEATH!!" Koji screamed, and Xin was quite surprised to see the amount of power rolling off the boy.

His body was shooting off sparks, and the amout of killing intent he brandished sent a wave of excitement through Xin's body. (This boy. His power is prodigious! The first time in a long time I've been excited for a fight!) Xin mused to himself, and then, the sparks shot off more, and he began to glow brightly. Xin winced a little, and waited it out.

When the light cleared, Koji's shirt had changed into a dark blue shirt. His hair had gold streaks in them, and his eyes held an animialistic fury. _"Hey. Something isn't right about this kid. I can sense demonic chakra flying off him." _Yami said, and Xin smirked a little on the inside. (A demonic foe. This will be a first.) Xin mused to himself.

He was brought back to reality when Koji unleashed an inhuman scream, which caused wings of electric chakra to blast out of his back, charged him. Xin was surprised by the transformation, but that just added to the excitement he felt. Koji stopped at the base of the tower, and blasted into the air, leaving a crater. Xin pulled out a Saber, and hopped off the tower into a free fall.

Koji's right hand began to pulse with chakra, and Xin added some chakra into his blade. Both nin flashed past each other, and landed across from each other. Xin's Saber disappeared, (All Association members can materialize their weapons from the Shadow Realm) and everyone saw a large slash mark appear on Koji's chest, as blood flew everywhere.

But instead of falling to the ground, Koji turned around, as the wound started to disappear. (Healing powers? I thought only the Kyuubi had that kind of ability.) Xin thought to himself. _"This proves Prophecy's prediction! This boy houses one of the Phoenixes!" _Yami explained, while Xin looked on, non-plussed. (And what are those?) Xin asked.

"_The Phoenixes were the 8 Celestial Guardians of my tomb. I thought they were all killed off, but it seems the Lightning Phoenix was somehow infused into this boy." _Yami said, thinking about this. (Is it possible for the Phoenixes to travel throughout the worlds?) Xin asked, and could envision Yami's eyes widening.

"_Of course! The boy came from another land! The Lightning Phoenix must have infused itself into him as he warped!" _Yami explained. Xin nodded, and brought himself back into the battle.

Koji charged again, and Xin flew through some hand seals. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Xin opend his mouth, and a stream of fire shot out of his mouth. He was stunned when instead of moving out of the way, Koji shot his wings forward, and blocked the flames, while leveling him a soul piercing stare.

Xin held his stare, and then ducked out of the way when another Koji shot at him from the air with a Plasma Thrust. (That was Shiro's Plasma Thrust. Did he teach him that attack?) Xin thought to himself, re-summoning one of his Chakra Sabers. He added his chakra to it, and it blazed ferociously.

He swung it back, and sent it towards the Koji Clone that charged him. The clone dodged it, and charged with electricity coming off his hands. Xin blocked the electric attack, and spun to redirect and attack aimed at his back into the first clone.

It was hit, but that wasn't all. It exploded in an electric storm. (Shit. Plasma Clone!) Xin thought to himself, as the blast sent him flying back into a wall. He ducked as Koji reappeared, slamming a lightning fist into the wall. "I grow sick of this game." Xin announced, as he summoned his other Chakra Saber, and held them in front of him, in a cross.

"Full Power: Tri-Edge!!" His blades each shot out two more edges, and he smirked. "Come, Lightning Phoenix." Xin said. Koji roared, and ran at him, faster than he was earlier moving. Xin's eyes were closed, as Koji barreled at him, leaving the earth upturned from where he ran, as he had electricity pulsing with power.

The moment before Koji struck, Xin's eyes shot open, and he took one step. Everyone watching the match saw 15 flashes of light, before Koji shot past Xin, standing still, as Xin didn't move from the one step he took. Both stood still, as the wind blew.

Xin then closed his eyes, and his Tri-Edge turned back into his Chakra Blades, as they disappeared. He began to walk away, as slash marks appeared all over Koji's body, causing blood to fly everywhere, and Koji fell to the ground. His eyes had glazed over, and he was laying in a puddle of blood.

"KOJI!!" Sakura screamed, as she and Shizune ran to him. They ran right by Xin, but with slow-motion, he could see the hateful glare Sakura sent him. He continued his walk, before he was in front of the Mist Three. He glanced at them, and they held his intense look.

"Do not think you have avoided your fates. We will deal with you once the bigger issues are dealt with." Xin said, as he disappeared into his portal. The three looked to the portal, and Zabuza let out a shaky breath. "He seemed distracted." Zabuza said, and Haku nodded.

"We were lucky." Shinji said. "Not everyone can afford our luck though." Zabuza said, as Shizune and Sakura were working rapidly to save Koji's life. "All his vitals were missed. It was as though he was testing him." Haku said.

"He still needs help." Shizune said, as Zabuza picked the boy up. "Know any really skilled Medics?" Shinji asked. "Only one." Shizune said, and they all took off for Tsunade.

**ShadowRonin: So everything isn't as it seems at face value. Xin is forced into the situation he is in, and is trying to kill himself without the curse affecting his body. So far, his best bet seems to be in the power of his rival and the student of his rival. But that's not all. Who are the other 14 members and what are their reasons for being in the Association? Maybe time will tell…**

**Next Chapter: With the war coming to a conclusion, Koji and friends are left to heal themselves, and figure out their future plans. The last chapter for the Jounin Exam Arc is next on:**

**Chapter 36: Showdown!! Epilogue: The Paths We Choose.**


	36. Showdown: Epilouge

**Yo!! The last chapter of the Second Arc. Whenever I finish an arc, I always get filled with this sense of fulfillment, because it means that I am just that much closer to finishing the story. Well, let's enjoy!**

**Side Note: Things are going to speed up a little as of late! Last Friday was my Graduation from High School, so my summer has officially begun as of then. Unless my friends decide to drag me downtown and do something, I should be able to update once a week. If not, then once every two weeks.**

Chapter 36: Showdown!! Epilogue: The Paths We Choose.

It was done. With the efforts of the Konoha nin, along with Sand nin, and both Kages, the gates of Sand weren't overtaken. Also the fact that Gamabunta made a quick appearance was also a big help.

Tsunade smiled in relief when the demons just decided to fly away. She guessed their master called it quits. She sighed, and let Koji's black overshirt rest on her shoulder. She then turned, and felt Shizune's chakra pattern. She was then surprised when both Shizune and Sakura appeared, a battle ridden and scarred Koji resting on Shizune's shoulder.

"Tsunade-sama! He needs help!" Shizune said, and Tsunade nodded, picking to boy up and Body Flicking to the hospital.

_(Elsewhere)_

"Was it a good idea to just leave like that?" Shinji asked. "Yeah. That idiot boy will live to fight another day." Zabuza said. They came to the end of the desert, and Zabuza turned to look at Shinji.

"Boy, you no longer have an obligation to stay with me and Haku. Your path is of your own." Zabuza said. "Thanks, I guess." Shinji said, and Haku smiled. "You will come back to Kiri to visit every once in a while, right?" Haku asked.

"Of course! The first friend I've had lives near there!" Shinji said, as both of them shook on it. Zabuza and Haku left for Mist, while Shinji began to travel the world.

_(Hospital)_

It had been about an hour since Tsunade began to heal Koji, and she was relieved when he only had suffered from a lot of scratches that only looked bad. He would be better in a few hours.

Tsunade sighed in relief, and held an amused smiled over the worried look Sakura had for the boy. (This could play out interestingly.) Tsunade thought to herself, deciding to go get some sake, and find Jiraiya. She also hoped (though she would never admit it) that Shiro was around.

_(Around the Village)_

Sanosuke sat on a roof, as bandages were wrapped around his body. He believed he did his part, and was resting. "That was one hell of a battle." Sanosuke turned, to see Zaku taking a seat next to him.

"Hn. Of course you would think so. You are someone who is too brash to think otherwise." Sanosuke said, and Zaku smirked. "You are too jealous of my sheer awesomeness!" Zaku screamed. "The only thing awesome about you is your stupidity."

They both turned, and saw Dosu standing there, with Kin behind him. "You want to try that again, mummy!?" Zaku screamed, with white eyes. "Don't fret over it." Dosu said, and he took a seat as well. Kin sat next to Sanosuke, despite the smirks she got from both Dosu and Zaku.

They all looked to the village, as the people were helping to repair the village. "So, where does it end from here?" Sanosuke asked. "We probably go back to the Shadow Blades, and you are left to you own devices." Dosu said, and Zaku shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe our paths will cross again someday." Zaku said.

"I suppose." Sanosuke said, as Kin leaned her head on his shoulder. Sanosuke smirked a little, and closed his eyes. "Don't worry. If I know Koji, he'll make sure we meet again." Sanosuke said.

_(Inside the Hospital)_

Koji yawned, and opened his eyes. "Man. What did I do to cause myself to ache like this?" Koji muttered to himself, yawning. He looked around, and recognized this to be a hospital.

"Damn. Must have pissed Sakura off again." Koji joked to himself, and noticed that Sakura was asleep on a desk in the room. "?" Koji didn't understand why she was there, and then his mind flashed back to the battle against Xin.

(That power. What was that? Is that in my body?) Koji thought to himself, as he tried to get to his feet. "You should stay down, baka." Yami said, walking into the room.

"Don't be stupid, Yami! If I stay down, then I'll never get to travel the world!" Koji said, and Yami sighed. "I suppose." Yami said, as Koji cracked his neck. "I feel fine." Koji said, and then he stopped comically, as a loud cracking sound was heard, and Koji fell to his back, anime tears pouring out of his eyes.

"Okay! I'm not fine!" Koji said, and Yami sweat dropped. "I thought so." Yami said.

_(On Route to Sound)_

"So, what kind of training did you forego teaching me?" Sasuke asked, as him, Orochimaru, and Kabuto stopped in a nearby village. "That's the thing Sasuke-kun. There isn't anything left for me to teach you." Orochimaru said, and Sasuke glared.

"We will need your help if we are going to survive." Kabuto said, and Sasuke looked wary. "If we keep their attention threefold, then it will be all the much more easier to defeat them." Orochimaru explained, and Sasuke nodded slowly. "So you guys need me." Sasuke said. "As much as Konoha needs us alive." Orochimaru said. Sasuke nodded.

_(Back in Sand Village)_

Koji was released from the hospital after Tsunade took care of all the aches in his body. Happy at his release, he tugged his black shirt back on, and put his necklace back on. He walked out of the hospital, and smiled as all of the Konoha 12 were there, waiting for him.

"Oh boy guys! You didn't need to wait for me." Koji said. "Wait, where's Sasuke?" Koji asked. Everyone looked a little confused, and Naruto averted his eyes to the ground. "You know, don't you?" Neji asked, and Naruto's eyes widened.

"What happened to Sasuke?" Sakura asked. "He's returned to Sound." Naruto said, and everyone's eyes widened. Shino and Neji maintained their stoic faces, and Koji closed his eyes. "Did he leave voluntarily?" Koji asked, and Naruto shook his head.

"Orochimaru said he had some more things to teach Sasuke, and both Tsunade-baa-chan, and Ero-Sennin let him take Sasuke." Naruto said, and the looks of shock adorned everyone's faces. "I see. It can't be helped." Koji said, and Sakura gave him an angry glare.

"That's it!? You let it end at that!?" Sakura screamed, and Koji nodded. "If it wasn't by his choice, then he was probably given the right to leave when everything is said and done." Koji said. "And if he isn't?" Sakura shot back. "Then I guess that there's going to be a big ass Rescue Mission." Koji said, smirking.

_(Sand Village Gates)_

Zaku, Kin, and Dosu stood across from Sanosuke, as they began to leave for the Shadow Blade base. "So, we'll run into each other again, right?" Zaku asked. "Don't know. Wait till we see what destiny has in store for us." Sanosuke said, as Dosu nodded.

"See you somewhere alone the road." Dosu said, as he began to follow Zaku. Kin stood, her hands behind her back, blushing a little. "You know, if you don't go now, your friends will leave you behind." Sanosuke said. Kin nodded, and Sanosuke smiled, his eyes closed.

"See you down the-" Sanosuke didn't realize that Kin had walked to him, and before he knew it, she had kissed him in the cheek. He blushed furiously, and was the same shade as Kin was. "See you." She said, and ran off after Dosu and Zaku.

Sanosuke looked stunned, and unconsciously brought his hand up to where she had kissed him, and smiled. "Aren't you the player?" Sanosuke turned, and saw Koji there, leaning on the wall, smirking. "So, has Sano found him a crush?" Koji said, making fun of him.

"Shut up!" Sanosuke said, turning darker. Koji chuckled, and patted Sanosuke on the back. "It's cool. Me thinks Kin likes you." Koji said, and Sanosuke shrugged. "So, when do you leave for your great cross country journey?" Sanosuke asked, changing the subject.

"I'm going to crash in Konoha for a few days, and then we leave." Koji said, and Sanosuke nodded. "So, it's almost time." Sanosuke said. "Almost!" Koji said, thrusting his fist into the air.

_(Somewhere in the Wind Country Dessert)_

Xin walked somewhere about 10 miles from The Sand Village. His plan to kill Koji and take over the Sand Village didn't exactly work, but he gained quite a bit of information. He stopped, as T.K, Blade, and Sidestep appeared in front of him, from their portals.

"So, what do you think of the nin?" Xin asked. "Leave taking this world over to the three of us!" Blade said, smirking, and T.K nodded. "Good. I'm taking a quick walk to Kumo, something important popped up." Xin said, as he disappeared in his portal.

"What's up with him? He seemed like he had something on his mind." Sidestep said. "His issues." T.K said. "He's right. If he needed our help, then he would tell us." Blade said.

**ShadowRonin: And so, we come to the end of the Second Arc: The Jounin Exams. Koji has survived another brawl and now he and his friends are waiting for the next set of battles. But for Koji, the battles are not even close to over, nor are the unexpected surprises.**

**Next Arc: What should have been a short rest soon turns into a whole new set of problems. The twist: None of them involve the Association for now. Unexpected babysitting, (At least to Koji…) new enemies, and a second Phoenix who has it for Sakura!? Koji will be fighting for his life and his beliefs in the next arc:**

**Tales of a Boy and His Dog: Third Arc: The Grand Adventure: Land of Fire!!**

**Koji is in for a rude awakening, and a new rival for Sakura!**


	37. A New Mission

**Yo!! Here is the new arc of the Tales of a Boy and His Dog saga. The boys are all getting together and they are going to cause some all new trouble! So welcome to Tales of a Boy and His Dog: Arc 3: The Grand Adventure: Land of Fire!**

Chapter 37: Koji-Sensei!? C-Rank Assignment!!

It had been 3 days since the giant fiasco in the Sand Village. Koji had been resting, since Association 15 wasn't trying to kill him.

Sanosuke seemed to be brooding, so he guessed that means he was wondering where Kin was. He sighed. (Man, I need some action! God, give a brother some fun!) Koji said, and as thought his prayers were answered, Genma appeared.

"Hey, your name is Koji Hyosuke, right?" Genma asked. Koji nodded. "Hokage-sama has called you for a mission." Genma said, and Koji narrowed his eyes. "Sorry, but I'm not a Leaf nin. I can't-" Seeing where this was going, Genma pulled out a scroll that was sent a yesterday, and smirked.

"As stated by Koji's leader, Shiro Masamune, if you wish to become a member of the Shadow Blades, there is one mission that Tsunade wants you to do. All Jounin must be able to take care of their comrades." Genma read, and Koji slowly began to scowl.

"He didn't mention that I had to do this." Koji said. "Well, you've been informed now." Genma said, and Koji ran his head into his palm. "Tell her to give me 10 minutes." Koji growled annoyingly.

_(Hokage Tower)_

Tsunade sighed in irritation. Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi had been given a mission, and the funny thing was that Koji was supposed to be here before those three were.

"You call me, Tsunade-san?" Koji asked, walking in. "You said to wait 10 minutes. It's been 2 HOURS!!" Tsunade screamed. "Oh cool it, Double D. I'm here." Koji said.

Of course no one got his nickname, until Tsunade looked down at the mission, and chanced a glance at her rack, which caused her to put the pieces together, and glare quite fiercely at Koji, who looked on not affected by the glare.

"Since you are here, I'll give you your mission." Tsunade said this with a chilling tone, before she cooled herself down, and adopted a commanding tone. "There is a small village 20 miles south of here that has been having issues with bandits. I'm sending out a Genin squad, since the bandits seem to be civilians. But since the squad's leader is out due to a mission, you will improvising as a Jounin Sensei." Tsunade said.

"So, you are trusting three little kids in my care?" Koji asked, and grimaced when she nodded, smirking. He was about to say something, but Sakura had opened the door, since it was her turn to watch her 'sensei'.

"Koji? Kakashi-Sensei? What are your guys doing here?" Sakura asked, and Koji smirked in Tsunade's direction. "Hokage-chan has asked me to drop my shorts and let her have her way with me for 10,000 ryo." Koji said, as Sakura's eyes widened and she blushed, as did Naruto's and Kakashi's. Sai looked on warily, knowing the Hokage's short fuse.

The vein of anger appeared on Tsunade's head, as she stood up, and stopped next to her desk, killing intent flying off of her. She then began to count to ten, and Koji shrugged.

(I guess she's counting to prevent herself from-) Koji stopped his musing when he saw that Kakashi had poofed away in his usual form, Naruto poofed away showing he was a Shadow Clone, and Sakura had just shut the door.

He turned to Tsunade, and sweat dropped. He last counted her on three. She had skipped to nine. "10!!" She screamed, and using one hand, she tossed her desk at Koji, and it hit its mark, blasting into the door.

Kakashi reappeared, Naruto climbed through the window, and Sakura opened the door, surprised to see her desk smashed into it. "What did you do, Shishou?" (sp?) Sakura asked, looking at the pile worriedly.

"Damage control, I would guess." Kakashi said, and then turned to the corner, as he donned his one eye n.n look. "Seems like he's a fighter." Kakashi said, and everyone turned to see Koji leaning on the side of the wall, smirking. "How did you get there?" Naruto asked.

"Replacement Jutsu. There was a vase in the corner, and I thought it would take the blow better than I would." Koji said, and shuddered when Tsunade sent him an icy glare, and more killing intent was released.

"That vase belonged to my father! It was a family keepsake!" Tsunade cracked her fists, and Koji began to sweat profusely. He knew what was coming. He sighed, pulled out a white blindfold, put it on, and took a drag from a cigarette. He would die with dignity.

_(Konoha Hospital)_

"So that's why you are here." Shizune said, as Koji smiled. "Yep. She's got some kind of temper." Koji said, and Shizune chuckled. "Yep. That's our Hokage." Shizune said.

"So, am I free to leave? There's a trio of Genin I need to meet." Koji said. "Okay." Shizune said, and Koji pulled his shirt on, and sighed. "Tell Kiba to watch Yami while I'm on my mission." Koji said, and Shizune nodded. Koji walked out of the hospital, and saw Naruto.

"You alive?" Naruto asked. "I won't die in something like that!" Koji said. "That's good. Sakura invited Team 7 to eat at her dinner at her house, and I invite you to come as well!" Naruto said. Before Koji could reply, Naruto popped out of existence. (Using Shadow Clone to relay messages. I should rethink the way I use Shadow Clone.) Koji mused to himself, walking towards Training Ground 14.

_(Training Ground 14)_

"So, Hanabi-chan. Who do you think our stand in sensei is going to be?" A boy asked. Hanabi shrugged, and turned to the boy. "Probably some powerful elite ninja, like Kakashi-san or maybe even Neji-nii-san!" Hanabi said, with sparkling eyes.

"Hey, someone's coming." Her other partner said, and they turned to look in the distance. The looks of sheer excitement died from their eyes when they saw it as some boy. He looked tall, but he didn't look like a ninja. "That's our stand in sensei?" One of the boys asked. "Looks like it." The other said. Hanabi didn't look impressed.

Koji looked upon the three Genin he was in charge of, and could already tell this would be a drag. Two of them looked like they didn't believe he was their sensei, and the kunoichi looked like she was indifferent.

"Okay. I guess because I accused Tsunade of trying to have her way with me, I was assigned to be baby sat by you three." Koji joked, and inwardly cheered when the boys began to snicker a little. The girl's eyes narrowed, and Koji took a look at her.

"Hey, your eyes remind me of Hinata and Neji." Koji said, and her glare turned into a neutral look. "You know them?" Hanabi asked. "Yep! But that's besides the point! I am Koji Hyosuke, your stand in sensei for tommorow's mission!" Koji said, and pointed to one of the boys.

"Since I don't know any of you, introduce yourselves!" Koji said, and the boys looked at him confused. "What do you want to know?" One of them asked, and Koji shrugged.

"Guess I'll start. My name is Koji Hyosuke. I have many things I like and dislike. Dreams? Well, I've been having dreamless nights recently, and goals are what Soccer players score." Koji said, and the boys began to chuckle, while Hanabi smirked.

"We didn't learn anything about you." Hanabi said. "I have no reason to have you know anything about me." Koji replied smirking, and pointed to one of the boys. "You start."

Name: Satoshi (Parents died during a mission when he was 3. Tenten's adopted little brother.) Age: 12. Hair: Dark Red. To his shoulders. Eyes: Black. Likes: Sharp Weapons! Especially Swords and Katanas!! Dislikes: Throwing weapons. Cheap pieces of crap! Dreams: Best Swordsman Alive!! No one will be able to stop me!! Koji's Analysis: (Seems like he's the Anti-Tenten. Probably proficient in all types of weapons. Weird that he finds throwing weapons cheap, while Tenten's whole fight pattern is based on them.)

Name: Kenta Niwa. (Lives in the Orphanarium. Parents died during the Sound Invasion.) Age: 12. Hair: Dark Green. Down to the top of his back. Covers his left eye. Eyes: Light Blue. Likes: Hanging out with my friends. Dislikes: Boredom. Or those who try to act all high and mighty. (glances at Hanabi.) Dreams: Be the strongest nin I can be, I guess. Don't want to half-ass. Koji's Analysis: (This kid is interesting. Seems like a team player. Probably waits for something to be assigned to him, and gets it done.)

Name: Hanabi Hyuuga. Little sister to the heir of the Hyuuga Clan. Age: 11 going on 12. Hair: Black. Down to her back. Eyes: White. (AH DUH) Likes: Training, and Hinata-nee-chan and Neji-nii-san. Dislikes: Nothing. Plenty of things annoy me though. Dream: Nothing in particular. Koji's Analysis: (I pray to all the gods she isn't anything like Neji.)

Koji nodded at all them, and turned to Hanabi. "I know your sister and Neji. They are pretty cool people." Koji said. "I doubt it. Why would they associate themselves with a weak moron like you?" Hanabi said, causing an anger vein to appear on Koji's head.

"You saying I'm weak?" Koji muttered. "Of course. A true elite Ninja looks like an elite Ninja. You just look like an idiot." Hanabi said. Koji closed his eyes, and counted to ten in his mind. "Would you say Hinata is an elite?" Koji asked.

"Yes. Nee-chan is capable of giving Neji a run for his money." Hanabi said, and Koji smirked. "Good. Because I am the one responsible for defeating her during the Jounin Exams." Koji said, and Hanabi gave him a surprised look. "I'll see all three of you tommorow at 8:30am for the mission." Koji said, disappearing in a poof of electricity.

_(Later That Day)_

It was about 5:00, and Koji was at a state of not knowing what to do. Naruto's Team was having dinner at Sakura's house, and Naruto invited him. He normally had no problem with invites, but he was pretty damn sure that an invitation from Sakura would make him feel a hell of a lot better.

Before he could contemplate anymore, he felt someone grab his arm, and begin to drag him. "Here you are! Come on!!" Naruto screamed, and Koji had anime tears falling from his eyes. This wasn't going to end well at all for him.

Naruto ran his hand into the door, loudly and repeatedly. "Why not ring the doorbell?" Koji asked, pointing to it. "What's a doorbell?" Naruto asked, and Koji sweat dropped.

Before Koji could explain, and tell Naruto about his lack of a brain, the door opened, and a woman with crimson red hair stood there. Koji guessed Sakura got her eyes from her, seeing as her eyes were the same bright green as Sakura's were.

"Oh! Naruto-kun! You are here!" She said. "Hi Misato-chan!" Naruto said, and Koji shook his head. "Hi, Haruno-san." Koji said, waving a little. "Oh! You brought a friend, Naruto-kun!" Misato said, and Naruto nodded. "Don't worry! Sakura-chan would be glad to see him as well!" Naruto said, and both of them smiled, while Koji masked a smile. They both walked in, and once Misato was away, Koji popped Naruto in the head.

"Like hell she will! She will kick me out on the spot!" Koji muttered. "I bet she won't!" Naruto shot back.

They both entered the Dining Hall, surprised to see Kakashi and Sai already there. Misato was seated across her husband, who had snow white hair, and dark blue eyes. Naruto sat next to Sai, and Koji took the seat across from Kakashi. Sakura walked into the room, and nearly face vaulted when she saw Koji.

"You!? What the hell are you doing here!?" she screamed, causing Koji to smirk. "Good to see you to, Sakura-chan." Koji replied. "Who are you, boy?" Koji turned to Sakura's father, and held his glance. "My name is Koji Hyosuke. I am new to Konoha, and I am acquainted with Team 7." Koji said, and Misato gave her husband a disapproving look.

"Be nice, Takashi." Misato said, and Takashi shrugged indifferently. "Acquaintence!? Yeah right! You and Sakura are always flirting with each other!!" Naruto said, not thinking, and receiving a harsh glare from Sakura.

Koji didn't glare, since he was preoccupied trying not to let the amount of killing intent that Takashi was emitting get to him. "I assure you, dad. Nothing like that is going on between us!" Sakura said, as Takashi glared at Koji.

"Is that true lad?" He asked. Koji, getting a little ticked at being called kid and lad, decided to answer his opinion. "Anything between me and Sakura is between us." Koji said, his eyes closed. Of course that was the wrong answer.

"Food smells nice, Misato-san. Did you cook it?" Koji asked. She beamed, and Koji didn't notice the scared look Naruto and Kakashi donned. "Why yes I did!!" Misato said, and Takashi sort of grimaced. (Oh no, not again.) Sakura and Takashi thought mortified.

"Would you like to try some, Koji-kun?" Misato asked. Koji nodded before Sakura or Naruto could save him from certain pain. Koji looked to the rice balls, and smiled. "Thanks!" Koji said, popping one in his mouth.

Instantly, he paled as much as his dark skin would let him, and held back tears. He knew what rice balls tasted like, and he was damn sure they didn't taste like lemons. He forcefully swallowed, and visibly shuttered. "How were they?" Misato asked, as Koji tried his best to feign indifference.

"The best damn Rice Balls I ever had!!" Koji said/choked out, and everyone nearly applauded him for making it look like he meant it. "Great!! Would you want some more?" Misato asked, and Koji smiled. "Sorry, had a big lunch." Koji said convincingly, and had a glass of water.

Misato smiled quite prettily, and even Takashi had to give him a nod of respect, as he began to drink his tea. "You are so sweet!! You should court our Sakura!" Misato said, and Takashi spit his tea out, and coughed. Naruto began to snicker, while Kakashi slowly nudged his seat away from the choking Haruno Head. Sai looked on with indifference.

"Hey Kakashi. What does it mean to court someone?" Koji asked, as everyone sweat dropped. Kakashi stood, and walked to Koji. He bent down to Koji's level, and whispered it to Koji.

Koji's normal apathetic face turned to surprise, as he nearly choked on his water. Sakura's head was already on the table, hiding the crimson blush she had. Koji at least held back the will to blush, and smiled gratefully to Misato.

"Um…I don't think that will happen…not now a least…" Koji said, and patted himself mentally for disarming that situation. "That is good." Takashi said. "I wouldn't want my daughter to be associated romantically with someone like you." Takashi said, and Koji felt an anger vein appear on his head.

"What do you mean by someone like me, Haruno-san?" Koji said, but Kakashi could hear the mild anger in his tone. "You don't look like someone who would be good enough for my Sakura." Takashi said bluntly.

Now, Koji could have simply ignored that. This guy had some kind of presence, and his aura was one who knew what they were doing. Not to mention that the amount of killing intent he released earlier meant he was at least a Jounin.

"That's a damn shame then. I guess I must be, since I am her Boyfriend!" Koji said, smirking. Sakura looked shocked, but she blushed nonetheless. Kakashi merely sighed. (He's picking a fight he can't win…) Kakashi thought to himself, sighing. Naruto actually began to laugh, but that died the moment Takashi glared at him. Sai continued to look indifferent.

"You are!?" Misato said, as she looked like she was beaming. "Mom! Dad! I assure you! He is-" "Telling nothing but the truth!!" Koji ended her sentence, as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Play along. Your dad has pushed me." Koji told her silently.

Takashi retained his calm, and gave Koji a piercing look. "I must say. An outsider being associated with my daughter is not okay." Takashi said. Sakura and Misato both glared, and were about to tell him off, before Koji sighed.

"As not okay as graying at age 20?" Koji asked, referring to his white hair. Takashi chuckled, as Koji smiled with his eyes closed, but everyone could feel the electricity passing between them.

Sakura knew this couldn't end well. Her father is the main source of where she got her personality. He is stubborn, proud, and had an unshakable will. Koji is too damn headstrong for his good, and his will was even more daring than his headstrongness.

Kakashi sighed. The smile Koji had was one that promised mischief. Naruto smirked. It was about time Koji caused some fun. Sai sighed. Someone was going to leave this place in pain.

They continued the meal, and the battle between Takashi and Koji was on. "I must ask, what are your credentials as a Shinobi?" Takashi asked. "I was in the semi-finals during the Jounin Exams in the Sand Village." Koji replied.

"Really? Well, how come you didn't win?" Takashi asked, as Koji tried his best not to launch jutsu at him. "My opponent was stronger. It couldn't be helped." Koji replied. "I'm sure." Takashi said, and Koji took a deep breathe.

"Misato-san, this food is excellent." Koji said, knowing well that since it doesn't taste weird, someone else cooked it. "Sakura made it." Misato said, and Koji smiled. "I see. She'll make someone a great housewife someday." Koji said, smiling.

"Koji!!" Sakura said, blushing. "Yeah yeah. I know. Too willful for something like that. Also you are quite tomboyish." Koji commented. "Are you saying she is ill-mannered?" Takashi said. "Of course not. Just saying she is quite spirited. I like women like that." Koji said, causing Sakura to blush, Misato to smile even wider, and Naruto to smirk.

"Then why not delve into that tension you and Sakura always have?" Naruto asked, knowing he was starting to cause trouble. Koji glanced to Naruto, and smirked. "I don't like to force people. She will come to ask me for it." Koji said, and Sakura turned dark red, while Misato shook her head.

"Your boyfriend is an interesting character. He's one of a kind." Misato said. "You have no idea." Kakashi said. "I say he's full of himself." Takashi said. "And I say you are a prick, but I'm merely voicing my opinion, like you did." Koji said, and smirked when Takashi's eye began to twitch, as his right hand looked like it was heading for his side.

"I don't know, Haruno-san, but I get the distinct impression that you are going to threaten me." Koji said, and he had somehow pulled out a kunai, and was spinning it using the hole.

"If that's the case, then I will have no choice but to defend myself, and I have no intent of hurting anyone here." Koji said, as he gave Takashi a mischievous smirk. "But that's not the case, right, Haruno-san?" Koji asked. "You are incredibly rude, young man. You should respect those older than you." Takashi said, glaring at him.

"The day you earn my respect, we'll talk. Till then…" Koji let the sentence hang, but Takashi could feel nothing but the highest amount of annoyance. Misato could feel that there would be a fight if the situation wasn't dissolved, and gave Kakashi a desperate look. He understood, and was ready in case something happened.

"Hey Misato-san. Is there any dessert?" Koji asked, completely ignoring the tense atmosphere. Misato nodded, and went to get some ice cream. Koji closed his eyes, and rested his head lightly on Sakura's shoulder, causing her to blush, and causing Takashi to glare at him.

Koji smirked at him. "Something irritates you, Haruno-san?" Koji asked. Takashi merely closed his eyes, and smirked. "No. I don't see the need to deal with you. She'll eventually realize her mistake, and you will be gone." Takashi said, and Koji's hair covered his eyes.

"Dad!!" Sakura screamed. That was cold. Koji could feel his hand forming a gun, and hoped he could hold himself back from using his favorite jutsu. "Okay, but let's see the other side." Koji said, and his eyes reappeared, to show confidence.

"Let's say that your prediction fails, and we both get married. Could you handle that? Knowing that the one person you dislike gets the chance to do things to your daughter that you do to your wife? Knowing that I make her scream my name in sheer ecstacy?" Koji asked, with each question his smirk widened, and Takashi's glare got fiercer, and Sakura's face got redder.

In an instant, Takashi pulled a kunai and tossed it. Koji pulled his finger up, and launched his Lightning Gun. The kickback caused his chair to fly back, dodging the kunai, and hitting Takashi at the same time. Takashi hit the wall, and stood to his feet in time to have Kakashi resting his hand on his chest, his other hand resting on his headband, ready to raise it up.

Sakura was holding Koji against the wall. "Why did you do that!?" Sakura screamed. "Don't start on me!! The bastard threw the kunai first! He knew damn well I was going to defend myself!!" Koji said, as Sakura embraced him to prevent him from doing anything.

(That boy. I can't tell if he's extremely confident, or extremely stupid.) Takashi mused to himself, before he smirked. "Boy, your mouth will get you killed one day." Takashi said. "You are not only overconfident, you are also disrespectful, and incredibly ill-mannered." Takashi said, and he smirked.

"Sort of reminds me of myself at your age." Takashi said, and Koji smirked back. "I guess that means asking your blessing is not going to happen?" Koji joked. "If you were to truly begin to court her, you would have my blessing. She needs someone to balance her out." Takashi said, and Sakura blushed. "DAD!!" Sakura screamed, and Koji began to rub her head.

Koji walked towards his temporary house, with Naruto dragging behind him. "You know, dinner at the Haruno House is incredibly fun! We have to do that again sometime!!" Koji said, and Naruto smirked. "You know, you always seem to cause a fun time wherever you go." Naruto said. "That's just my natural charm!" Koji said.

**ShadowRonin: And so we begin the new arc in a very unexpected fashion. Koji has gotten the Haruno consent to court Sakura, though he has been doing that in his own way since the beginning. But for now, Genin need his assistance, and he will deliver.**

**Next Chapter: Koji and the Genin take leave for the mission, but on their way to where they need to be, they are attacked by a girl. Who is this girl, and for what reason does she attack Koji and company? Find out on:**

**Chapter 38: Mission Start!! Let's Get Cracking!!**


	38. Trip to Town

**Yo!! Here is the new arc of the Tales of a Boy and His Dog saga. The boys are all getting together and they are going to cause some all new trouble! So welcome to Tales of a Boy and His Dog: Arc 3: The Grand Adventure: Land of Fire!**

Chapter 38: Mission Start!! Let's Get Cracking!!

Koji was sitting next to the gate, his legs crossed, and his headphones blaring. His black backpack was off to the side. He set his alarm for 7:00, and was ready at 8:00. Since he had another 30 minutes, he sat down, and began to listen to music.

8:25, Hanabi walked down, with her white backpack. At 8:30, Satoshi and Kenta arrived, with blue and red backpacks respectively. Koji nodded, and took his headphones off, and put them in his backpack.

"Everyone got what they need?" Koji asked. The three Genin nodded, and Koji put his backpack on. "Okay! It's about a day and a half walk to Kokiri Town. Let's roll!" Koji said, as he pushed the gates open. "Alright!! A kick ass mission!!" Satoshi said, thrusting his fist. "Don't get to excited, Satoshi. Need a calm head." Kenta said. "Hn." Hanabi said.

Not more than an hour after Koji and the Genin left, Naruto, Kakashi, Sai, and Yamato appeared at the gates. "Giving him a Genin team may have been a bad idea…" Kakashi mused to himself.

"I say we not worry about Koji and worry about the kick ass mission Baa-chan just gave us!!' Naruto said, and Kakashi sighed. "Have all your stuff with you? Who knows how long this will take." Yamato said, and Sai nodded. "Naruto-kun?" Team Kakashi turned and saw Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and Tenten there, looking like they were heading to Hokage Tower for a mission.

"You guys have a mission as well?" Sakura asked, and Naruto smirked. "Baa-chan gave us this kick ass mission that is going to take a long time!!" Naruto said, and Hinata looked quite distressed. "I have an idea. How about next time you are in town, you and your teammates go and get ramen?" Ino suggested, and smirked as Hinata looked confused.

"That reminds me! I never invited Koji for Ichiraku Ramen!! Oh man!! And I have these two free coupons too! What should I do!?" Naruto screamed, and Sakura smiled. "I say you invite Hinata." Kakashi said, and Hinata turned real red.

"You think so Kakashi-sensei? Well if you say I should then I will. Is that okay, Hinata?" Naruto asked, and Hinata turned real red, and nodded vigourously. "Then it is a date!!" Hinata passed out when he said that. "She should eat more healthily. Bad guy ninja might take advantage of her if she keeps fainting like that." Naruto said, and everyone sweat dropped. (Just like an idiot…)

"It seems the Kyuubi is actually leaving the village." From atop the village gates stood two men. One with an orange spiral mask, and his partner, the venus fly trap with two halves.

"Naruto will be much more easy to catch if he is only being guarded by the likes of Sharingan Kakashi and that guy with Harashima's Jutsus. Zetsu, we will follow them and see what we are going to do next." Madara said, and Zetsu's black half smirked.

"Do we get to beat them?" Zetsu asked. "Not now. If the chance arises, then we will take Naruto." Madara said, the tone indicating he had a dark smirk while his Sharingan began to flash.

_(Land of Fire: Route To Kokiri Town.)_

After a few hours of walking, the team was still on their way. Koji walked with his headphones on, Satoshi was chatting about the great samurai ninja he was going to be, and Kenta was merely half paying attention to him. They walked a few more steps, before Koji brought his hand up, and everyone stopped.

"From here on, we tread carefully." Koji announced. "Why, Koji-sensei? I don't sense anyone." Satoshi asked. "Look at the trees." Koji said, and everyone turned to them. "These bastards must be pretty damn sure of themselves, the way they sliced these trees up." Koji said, as he pointed out the trees that had slash marks all over them.

"Probably their way of showing their territory." Hanabi suggested. "Maybe. Either way, we stay careful." Koji said, and they continued their trek. "So, Hanabi-chan. What does those eyes of yours do?" Koji asked. "The Byakugan is none of your business." Hanabi replied, and Koji sighed.

"Look, I'm not out to find out your clan's skills. All I know is that they can see Chakra Points. Is there anything I need to know about them for advantageous planning should an emergency arise?" Koji asked. She held his look to see if he was trying to deceive her. His eyes showed he was dead serious, and Hanabi sighed. "I can see 355 degrees. I can also see about 50 meters in each direction." Hanabi said, and Koji smiled.

"Thanks, Hanabi-chan!" Koji replied, and Hanabi scowled at him. "You have no right to refer to me as though you know me!" Hanabi said, and Koji patted her head. "Of course, Hanabi-san." Koji said, smiling.

In the trees stood a girl, age 17, standing on a branch. She played with her sword, and sighed. "He knew that Konoha would send a squad, but a bunch of Genin and some Chuunin looking dude?" She muttered, as she drew her sword. "This will be painfully easy." She muttered, as she fell from the tree.

Koji, and his squad kept their pace, and was minding their surroundings. Koji's ears twitched, and he thought he heard something. He guessed it was a wild animal. Before anyone could call it, in a flash of black movement, someone flashed past all the Genin and Koji, and there was a flash of silver.

The Genin stood there, stunned, and their shock turned to horror as blood began to fly out of Koji like a fountain, and he fell to the ground, dead. "That was really not worth my skills." She said, and turned around.

She wore the garbs of a samurai, with the top in white, and the pants in dark blue. What really intimidated them was the dark blue star eyepatch she had across her left eye. The wind picked up, and her dark blue hair began to dance with it, showing a single braid between the rest, which flowed freely.

"I am sorry. I was hired to kill any nin that tried to help Kokiri Town. I am sorry." She said, and she charged them. Satoshi and Kenta glanced at Hanabi, who smirked, and nodded. The mysterious samurai swung her blade, only for it to clash into another Katana. Satoshi smirked at her, and she hopped back in time to avoid 5 kunai.

"Kenta, you ass!! You know I hate throwing weapons!!" Satoshi screamed, and Kenta smirked. "Just because you do doesn't mean I have to." Kenta replied, and Hanabi brought their attention back to the charging samurai. "Kaiten!!" Hanabi repelled her with her Heavenly Spin, and she noticed that Kenta was gone.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!" The samurai only had to see him grab her foot, before she used sheer strength to drag him back up, and attempt to slash him. She got him, but he turned into a log, that was smashed by a mace being wielded by Satoshi. She ducked under it, and he pulled his wrist, causing it to fly back to him.

He began to masterfully handle the weapon, causing it to shoot back, and the samurai dodged it. He brought it back again, and this time he heel kicked it, causing it to bounce forcefully off the ground, before he ran his palm into it, blasting it back to her using chakra.

She back bended to dodge it, and it collided into a tree, getting stuck. She ran along the chain, and Hanabi landed on it as well, and began to use Gentle Fist attacks. Samurai was easily able to dodge Hanabi's attacks, and spin kicked her away. She then brought her katana out, and spun. "Hurricane Blade!!" She shot a Wind Blade at Kenta, and it hit him dead on, knocking him into a tree. She then brought her attention back to Satoshi, and ran along the chain.

(This is it. I'm done for.) Satoshi thought to himself, his eyes showing fear as Samurai approached. A second before she attacked, a black blur appeared on the chain, wielding what looked like a gold Bo Staff. Her sword clashed with the staff too fast for any of the Genin to see, and she jumped back and landed on the ground. The black blur slid back, and had Satoshi with him.

"Koji-sensei!!" Satoshi screamed, and Koji smiled. "Sorry I'm late." He said, as the dead Koji turned into a log with a slit on it. "You guys did really well for a bunch of Genin." Koji complimented, and the Samurai hopped away, as another Koji using the Piercing Spark Claw flashed by. "She sensed him." Koji muttered, as the clone stopped next to him.

"You're pretty good there, Musha Girl!!" Koji said, smirking. "Your demeanor belies your skill." She replied, and Koji shrugged. "If you think so. I just do what I do." Koji replied. She smirked, and turned around. "My name is Ryoko. None who have heard my name have lived to tell it." She said, and Koji shrugged.

"I'm Koji Hyosuke. And I'll be the first to tell of it." Koji said, and Ryoko disappeared into the shadows. "Man. I can't seem to not cause serious trouble." Koji muttered to himself. "Hey squirts. We should probably head back." Koji said, and Satoshi gave him a white eyed glare. "Why!? This mission is our chance to prove ourselves!!" Satoshi screamed.

"Against someone who is way past your skill level?" Koji shot back, and Satoshi averted his eyes. "I'm not going to lie. That girl, Ryoko, she is most likely a Special Jounin Level Warrior." Koji said, and the three Genin's eyes widened. "You're kidding right?" Kenta asked. "I really wish I was." Koji said. He then sighed, and pulled a scroll from his backpack. "Since this is WAY above that of a trio of Genin and a Jounin leader, I'm giving Tsunade a scroll explaining-" Koji was cut off as a sword impaled his scroll.

"Satoshi, why the hell did you do that?" Koji askd calmly. "I'm not backing out on this mission!" Satoshi said, and Koji shook his head. "I think you misheard me. This isn't something for Genin." Koji said, and Satoshi smirked. "Then this will only prove we aren't some punk Genin." Satoshi said, and Koji sighed in irritation.

"I won't let you-" "Hell should we care about anything you say! You aren't even a full Jounin!" Satoshi screamed. Though Koji didn't show it, that one was a personal. "But Satoshi. Koji-sensei is the only one who can stand to her." Kenta said.

"Since he is chickening out, I'll find a way to beat her." Satoshi said, continuing. Kenta looked between Koji and Satoshi, and groaned. "Sorry, Koji-sensei." Kenta said, following him. Hanabi followed both of them, and Koji sighed. (That kind of blind arrogance is a personality trait I hate with a passion. Makes people think they can do anything as long as they believe in themselves. It will kill him eventually.)

_(Elsewhere)_

Satoshi, Kenta, and Hanabi continued their trek through the forest, nearing Kokiri Town. "Satoshi. Shouldn't we head back for Koji-sensei?" Kenta asked. "Forget him! He's nothing but a coward!" Satoshi said. "He made some incredibly solid points though." Kenta said.

"He has chosen his path. We have chosen ours. Besides, we handled that girl well enough." Hanabi said. "Thanks for agreeing Hanabi-chan!! We don't need no Jounin wanabe's help!!" Satoshi screamed, smirking. "Well look it here. A bunch of children." The three Genin turned, and saw a bunch of bandits. They had them surrounded, and the leader smirked.

"You know the drill kiddies. Drop all things of value, and you will live." He said. "How many Hanabi?" Kenta asked. Hanbi activated her Byakugan, and grimaced. "I'd say about 40." Hanabi said. "Well, that's nice." Kenta said. "Hey boss, the girl! She has those white eyes and can see!" One of the cronies said.

"I see. She must be from that clan of ninjas. Hyuuga, that's what their called. Kill the boys. Make sure the girl lives!" He commanded, and the bandits began to move in. "Seems like Koji-sensei may have been right." Kenta said. "Bullshit!! These are merely bandits!" Satoshi screamed. "Bandits the may be, but they outnumber us vastly. Even the best warrior can be outnumbered." Hanabi said grimly.

_(With Koji)_

Koji sat where he had tried to use his scroll, in deep thought. He was sure the kids would come back eventually, and he had sighed. (Something in my gut tells me something is going to go wrong.) Koji mused to himself.

He then used his chakra to feel around, and he felt a large concentration of miniscule chakra signatures. (Shit! Those must be the bandits!) Koji hopped to his feet, and put his backpack on. (You arrogant bastards better live long enough for me to chew you all out!)

_(The Genin)_

It had been about an hour since the fight had started. Sadly, They had only defeated 5 of them, and they weren't dead. "Seems like the kiddies have some fight in them." The leader said, and the three Genin shuddered. They were wearing down, and the bandits were smart enough to draw their attention when they were close to defeating another one.

Hanabi deactivated her Byakugan, not having the chakra to maintain it. Kenta was out of weapons, and chakra, and Satoshi didn't have anymore weapons on him. "At least we die fighting." Kenta tried to joke. "No amount of joking is going to change our outcome." Hanabi said. "Seeing as how we got ourselves into this mess, we stand and live with it." Hanabi said.

"She's right." Kenta said, as he tried to siphon out the last bit of chakra he could muster. "Fine…" Satoshi said, picking up a kunai and wielding it like a short sword. Before the final hurrah could start, everyone there felt a powerful presence. Then, a black blur flashed by the three Genin, and lots of slash sounds were made.

In the course of 5 seconds, all the bandits, including their leader, dropped to the ground like flies. When the flash stopped, Koji stood there, wielding two kunai. "Koji-sensei!!" Kenta screamed, and Koji ignored him. He walked to the leader, and picked him up by his shirt.

"Who is your leader?" Koji asked coldly. "Why the hell should I answer you?" He replied, and Koji smirked. "Wrong answer." He said, and released a suffocating amount of killing intent. The bandit cringed in fear, but he wasn't the only one. The Genin all had looks of fear.

(Probably shouldn't have done that.) Koji mused to himself, but since it's happened, it couldn't be changed. "Now, want to try that again?" Koji asked. "It was some guy named Toshiro! He's taken over recently!!" He screamed in fear, and Koji smirked.

"Is there any particular features I should know about him?" Koji asked. "He has a weird headband on. Like those kids, but his has an hourglass." He said, and Koji narrowed his eyes. "That is all. You are free to leave now." Koji said, and the scared bandit took off. Koji sighed, and completely ignored the Genin.

"Well, that's that." Koji said, and he stood his ground. "I hope you learned a valuable lesson from this. You aren't invincible, and you have a limit." Koji repreimanded, and the three Genin averted their eyes from him.

"You see the cap of your strengths, correct? You don't stand a chance." Koji said, and all the Genin looked to the ground, as his words sank in.

(This is really the best I can do?) Satoshi thought to himself. (All that training, and this is the best I got!?) Satoshi screamed at himself mentally.

(My cap strength eh? Well, at least I know where I stand.) Kenta thought to himself.

(This can't be my limit. Neji-nii-san was way stronger than this at my age! Why is the difference between us so grand?) Hanabi thought to herself, her hair shadowing her eyes.

"Luckily for you obnoxious brats, that's where I come in." Koji said, and they all looked at him with wide eyes. "If you hot heads want a chance to live, you'll have to do everything I say." Koji said. The three Genin nodded vigorously, and Koji sighed. "Well then, I guess we finish this mission, and make you stronger nin in the process." Koji said, and the Genin smiled with determination.

_(Unknown Location)_

"I see. So the Leaf Village sent a Genin team, being lead by a Jounin." A man said, his Sand Village headband resting safely on the back of his mummified package he held on his back. His orange hair looked untamed and spikey.

"The little ones aren't all that tough. The boy though, is something else." Ryoko said. Piercing Aquamarine eyes stared into wise green eyes, before he sighed. "The boy is going to be a pest. I've heard of a nin during the Jounin Exams who climbed the ladders like an angel flying to heaven. And the person you described also seems like the one who defeated Gale Kazekiri of the Kazekiri Royal Family." Toshiro said, and Ryoko held her neutral look.

"Be ready to face this one at full power. I know of your skill and reputation, but his skills are said to be on par with those of the Sannin Proteges." Toshiro said, and Ryoko nodded. "Understood." She said, and disappeared with a poof. "Seems like a fight is going to be near, but the boy needs to prove he can take it." Toshiro mused to himself, smirking.

**ShadowRonin: Koji has put himself into a pretty tight spot. Not only is he dealing with a tough foe, but three Genin under his care are looking to survive this ordeal. Time to see if Koji can protect his comrades.**

**Next Chapter: Koji begins to train the Genin so they can at least hold their own until he arrives should a fight break out. Will they handle his training, whatever it is? Find out on:**

**Chapter 39: Arrival to Kokiri Town!! Time to Strengthen the NOOBS!!**


	39. Genin Training Day

**Yo!! Koji and his team begin their rounds of training for the bad guys. Koji is sure he can help them, and I believe he can!**

**Side Note: Sorry I am late on updating. Not only was I babysitting, I also dropped everything I was doing to beat this game called Persona 3. The Final Boss is the biggest bitch boss I have ever faced. 12 different forms, and the 13****th**** form charmed my healer so she full healed him, restoring 5000 of the 6000 hit points I chipped off in 100 damage bits for a good hour and a half. So at 3:00 am. yesterday morning, try number 4, I was very irritable and broke my Silver PS2 Controller. But that is what it means to be a gamer. I am sorry.**

Chapter 39: Arrival to Kokiri Town!! Time to Strengthen the NOOBS!!

"Okay. You guys are merely Genin for a reason. This stage is meant to get you acquainted with the different kinds of skills you can possess." Koji said, and the Genin nodded.

"Once we get to Kokiri Town, since it's nearing dark, we'll find a inn to use as a base of sorts." Koji said, and the Genin nodded. "Since we have another 5 days before we're supposed to leave, we'll spend 2 days building you noobs up." Koji said.

"Noob?" Hanabi asked. "It's a nickname for a beginner." Kenta said, and Hanabi scowled at Koji. "Face it squirt. You are beginners compared to someone like me." Koji said, smirking.

_(Leaf Village)_

Sanosuke sat at the Ramen Bar, bored to death. Koji wasn't anywhere in town, and Naruto had left on some important mission. In short, it was boring without anyone to cause trouble.

"Hey, your name is Sanosuke right?" He turned, and raised his eyebrows when Tenten sat next to him. "You need something?" Sanosuke asked. "Me and the other girls are going on a mission. Can you watch Satoshi for me?" Tenten asked. Sanosuke gave her another look.

"When did you have a child?" Sanosuke asked, and Tenten turned red from embarrasement. "He isn't my child! He's my little brother!!" Tenten said, and Sanosuke shrugged. "I guess I can…" Sanosuke said, and Tenten smiled, hugging him.

"Thank you!!" Tenten screamed, and took off to prepare for her mission. "You look like quite the ladie's man." Teuchi said, and Sanosuke sweat dropped. "You worry about making ramen, and I'll worry about my problems." Sanosuke said, and Ayame chuckled.

_(Kokiri Forest)_

"Okay, for the next two days, we'll work on something that I know I can teach you. It's called Chakra Control." Koji said, and the Genin nodded. They were in the middle of the forest north of Kokiri Town at 8:00 in the morning. The Bandits hadn't marked this place up yet, so they were safe.

"So, 'sensei,' how do we get better chakra control?" Satoshi asked, as though Koji couldn't better them himself. "Since Skippy there seems to be quite full of himself, among other things, we'll begin." Koji said, tossing them each a kunai. "What do we need these for?" Kenta asked.

"For training. Since I hate spelling it out for you guys, I'll let you figure it out. My sensei taught me how to control chakra with this exercise." Koji said, sitting next to a tree. "So, what do we do?" Kenta asked. "I say we attack him." Satoshi muttered, an evil smirk on his face.

"Don't do anything you would regret, like attacking me, Satoshi." Koji had killed that plan the before it could even live. "Maybe we need to look beneath the lines. Maybe the kunai isn't meant to be a weapon." Kenta said. Koji smirked. The boy was getting it.

Time for one small push.

Koji yawned dramatically, and began to climb the tree using nothing but his feet, and some chakra. The Genin saw what he was doing, and Hanabi's eyes widended, before she smirked. "I got it." Hanabi said, and the boys looked to her.

"What now?" Satoshi asked. "We have to climb the tree using nothing but chakra." Hanabi said, and Koji could see light bulbs shine above the other two. "Of course!!" Satoshi screamed. "So, ready to work?" Hanabi asked, as they took their marks. On three a treee, they all charged a tree, and Koji chuckled at this.

_(Outside Cloud Village)_

Shinji was walking along a path towards the Cloud Village. He didn't have a particular goal in mind, but he felt the need to travel to the Cloud Village. (Always wanted to travel to the Cloud Village.) Shinji thought to himself.

He smirked. He was drawn to this village, as thought fate was telling him to go there. Shinji smiled. (Something fun is going to happen.) Shinji thought, as his brown hair danced in the wind, and his black shirt with a red eye on the back fluttered in the wind. "Something is coming. Maybe not now, but something big." Shinji muttered to himself, adjusting his glasses.

_(Kokiri Forest)_

Koji sat from atop his tree, chuckling at the sight. Satoshi and Hanabi were on the ground, grumbling about the fact that they could only make it halfway. Kenta had wisely played the role of observer after his initial try, and watched both Hanabi and Satoshi fail.

He then walked to the tree, and put his foot upon it. He tested how much chakra was needed before the bark shattered. Nodding to himself, he then tested how much chakra he needed before he stuck to the tree. He smiled when he figured it out, and hopped a little.

Seeing the foot stuck to the tree made him cheer in his head. (Almost got it.) Kenta thought to himself. He then brought his other foot up, and used chakra to stick into the tree, until he was standing perpendicular to the tree. Kenta stood there, and admired his progress. "He's going to get it, and before noon also." Koji muttered. It was about 11:00. One hour till noon. (Show me what you got, Kenta.) Koji thought to himself, smirking.

_(Leaf Village)_

"So, you girls know the extent of your mission?" Tsunade asked. "Yes." The 4 Kunoichi of the Konoha 12 said. "If you find out anything about Akatsuki, or even those weird guys in the black robes, you contact me for backup instantly." Tsunade said, and the girls nodded, and walked to leave.

"Tsunade-sama. Is it safe to send them to that place?" Shizune asked. "It's a school." Tsunade said. "A NINJA School, for only Kunoichi!!" Shizune said. "Koji will have a blast when he finds out what I'm making Sakura do." Tsunade said, amused. Shizune sighed, and TonTon oinked.

_(??)_

"It's been 15 years since we've had a full set of 10 Akatsuki members." The leader said, and the other nine nodded. "It seems like things have gotten interesting while me and Itachi were away." Kisame said.

"Besides Kanzaki, who else is here?" Deidara asked. "Two new members. One from the Star Village, and one from the Cloud Village." He said, and Kanzaki's eyes widened.

"I'm not a Missing Nin! I just want to follow Itachi-kun for everything he's done for me!" Kanzaki said. Itachi sighed, and silenced her by ruffling her hair. "So, who are the two new ones, yeah?" Deidara asked.

"Frankly, I don't feel the need to have you know who I am." One of them said, and he walked into some light, revealing the Cloud Headband that was scratched across the middle. "You have been causing trouble since our last meeting. But because of it, the Shadow Blades haven't done anything serious in a while." The leader said, his slashed Rain Headband flashing across the room briefly.

"We are sorry for our distraction before getting here, Leader-sama." The other new member, his Star Headband slashed across, said. "Your distraction? I was the one having fun. You merely stood on the sidelines!" The Cloud Nin said. He glanced around, and he caught sight of silver hair.

"It seems like I missed a couple, but I didn't think that the White Eye would be here." He said, and Kanzaki looked at him confused. "What do you mean?" Kanzaki asked. "You haven't heard? Your whole family is dead." He said, and he stepped more into the light, to reveal Midnight Blue eyes, and green hair. Kanzaki's eyes widened, before tears slowly began to form in her eyes.

"What? My family? Who did it? Who would kill an entire-" "I would." The man of 25 with the Cloud Heabdband said, stunning her silent. "You killed them all?" Kanzaki asked silently, as her chakra began to flare.

"You should have seen it. Tarogans of all colors tried to stop me, but they fell by my Tonfas. Only you, White Eyes, and the Black Sheep, Orange Eyes, are left." He said, and Kanzaki's eyes flashed from under her hair.

"YOU BASTARD!!" Tarogan activated, she charged at him head first, and he pulled out a Tonfa, ready to fight. He swung, and she threw a punch. Neither attack hit, since Itachi blocked both attacks.

"Kanzaki. We do not attack comrades in the Akatsuki." Itachi scolded her, and her Tarogan de-activated, and she looked at him with sad eyes. "But…" She couldn't finish her sentence, and buried her face into Itachi's chest. Itachi patted her head, and leader sighed.

"Look. In a few days, things are going to be different. Partners may be switched around. So for the moment, stay alone, and don't let anything bad happen." Leader said, and he disappeared.

"Seems like things are getting real interesting, yeah!" Deidara said, disappearing in his poof of smoke.

"Stay alive, Itachi." Kisame said, disappearing.

"Seems like something big is going to happen." The white half of Zetsu said. "Ha! As long as I get to fight!" The other half said, and they sort of melted into the earth, and disappeared.

Tobi kept quiet. (What the hell are you planning, Pain?) Tobi thought to himself, before he too, disappeared. The female member disappeared without a comment.

The man from the Star Village disappeared without a comment as well. "Keep to yourself Rei. Don't cause trouble." His voice floated in the air.

"Che. Like that Starboy could take me." Rei said. "I can." Rei turned, and glared at Itachi, who looked at him with cold emotionless Onyx eyes. "And I should be scared of some wuss like you?" Rei asked.

"Listen, and listen good. As long as Kanzaki is part of this organization, if she is in these Red Cloud Robes, if you so much as threaten her, I will kill you myself." Itachi said. "And what if she isn't?" Rei asked.

"If something should happen where she leaves Akatsuki, you still won't be able to kill her." Itachi said. "Why's that?" Rei asked, smirking as thought Itachi couldn't counter that. "Because you will still have to go through me. Should she leave, I will kill her myself. You won't touch her." Itachi said, his Sharingan blazing fiercely.

Rei blinked, and felt a chill. The stare from the Sharingan made him feel antsy, and he scowled. "Fine." Rei said, disappearing. Kanzaki smiled at Itachi, and he sighed. "You are a horrible liar." Kanzaki said, and Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"If I were to leave, we both know I would drag you with me." She said, and Itachi sighed again. "I would put up a fight." Itachi said. "And I would make you come, and you would enjoy it!" Kanzaki said, and Itachi smirked, ruffling her silver hair.

"We'll just see, won't we?" Itachi said, as he left the cave by walking away. Without asking, or needing to, Kanzaki followed him, and fell into step with him. She elbowed him lightly, and he de-activated his Sharingan. "Habit." Itachi said, and Kanzaki chuckled. It was true enough. It would take time getting used to being able to see with his normal black eyes.

_(Kokiri Town)_

Koji sat on top of the tree, smirking. The Genin looked like they would be there for a little while longer. Kenta on the other hand, finished about an hour ago. In response, Koji told him to try walking up and down the tree. All three were in front of his tree, panting and suffering from lack of chakra.

"Okay. We've been out here since morning, and I've run out of Soldier Pills. Let's call it a day, and get some food." Koji said, and there were groans from the trio. "Come on, sensei. Just 5 minutes to rest." Satoshi complained, and Koji chuckled.

"Sorry shrimp. The sooner you get to the inn, the sooner we can-" Koji cut his sentence short when he saw them all asleep. (Guess I overdid it. But it can't be helped. It will aid them in the long run.) Koji summoned 2 Shadow Clones, and each one carried a Genin. "Soon. You three will become great Ninja." Koji mused to himself.

_(Unknown Village)_

Itachi and Kanzaki had found a small village, and paid for an inn room. Since the room had two beds, there was no need for any awkward situations (Kanzaki) or worry of invading personal space. (Itachi)

Both had decided to call it a day, and laid in their beds. Kanzaki was staring at the ceiling with a solemn look on her face, and Itachi was asleep, yet attentive enough to jump to action.

"Itachi-kun?" Kanzaki asked, and Itachi grunted to show he was listening. "Can we go to Kumo? I wish to find out what happened to my family." Kanzaki asked. "You are aware that you may be considered a Missing Nin since you've been gone for so long." Itachi said. Kanzaki nodded, and Itachi sighed.

"I'll figure a way to get us in and out without getting arrested." Itachi muttered, before falling back asleep. Kanzaki smiled, and closed her eyes. "Thanks, Itachi-kun." She wasn't expecting a reply, and she didn't get one. Only a small snore to show Itachi was asleep.

_(Kokiri)_

Morning came, and Koji was surprised to see that all the Genin were gone. He put his clothes on, as though nothing wrong was happening, and smirked. He left the inn, and went to the forest. When he arrived, it wasn't a surprise that Kenta was meditating under a tree.

"Look up, Koji-sensei." Kenta said, and Koji nodded. "Nice that you could sense me." Koji said, and he looked up to see Satoshi standing on the branch, smirking. "You shouldn't cheat, Satoshi." Koji scolded, and Satoshi sighed. "You got me, sensei." Satoshi said, and Koji nodded, before Satoshi slid back, and began to hang upside down from the branch like a bat.

"Still think I cheated, sensei?" Satoshi asked, and Koji merely shook his head. "Where's Hanabi?" Koji asked. Satoshi pointed to a tree, and Koji's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Hanabi mediating upside down on a branch. "Hyuugas have superior chakra control. It comes with our family jutsus." Hanabi explained without opening her eyes, and Koji sighed.

"Okay, you guys learned to control your chakra. Now take a break, at noon we initiate your last leg of training." Koji said. "And that is?" Kenta asked. "You three will join forces and use everything you've learned to take me down." Koji said.

"You mean?" Satoshi asked, excited. "That's right. This time, I'll be your opponent, and your goal is to take my necklace from around my neck. Don't worry. I'll try not to go all out on a bunch of kids." Koji said. "But I must warn you. In order to win, you WILL have to come at me with the intent to kill, or else you'll never win." Koji said, and the Genin all smirked in determination.

**ShadowRonin: Koji is about to take on the Genin to see if they are truly ready, and Itachi and Kanzaki are about to embark on a journey to Cloud. Things are about to get really interesting.**

**Next Chapter: Koji takes on the Genin, as Itachi and Kanzaki arrive in the Cloud Village to learn that the clan has been massacred, just as the Cloud Nin said. Everything comes together in:**

**Chapter 40: Battle To Prove Themselves!! Masamune Survivor Reunion!!**


	40. Final Test

**Yo!! Koji and his team are readying themselves for their war against the bandits. The final training regiment is an all out brawl against Koji. Can the Genin pull together their collective skills and win, or will they fall by the wayside?**

Chapter 40: Battle To Prove Themselves!! Masamune Survivor Reunion!!

"So, here are the rules. You are allowed any weapons you want, (whoop from Satoshi) any jutsus you want, and you have till dusk, which is in about 7 hours. So, if there are any last preparations you need, make them now." Koji said, and the three nodded.

After 15 minutes, they all showed they were ready, and Koji nodded, putting his Chakra Staff into his pocket since he was twirling it. "I will use any move I got to subdue or stall you. The only thing you don't have to worry about is Genjutsu, since I suck badly at those." Koji said, chuckling.

"So, ready?" Everyone nodded. "Then, GO!!" Koji said, and he poofed away. "Body Flicker?" Satoshi asked. "No. That was a Shadow Clone. He didn't have to leave for his Chakra Staff since the original had it in his pocket since we've been out here." Hanabi said.

"What if he left with it?" Satoshi asked. "Couldn't have. My eyes would have seen him leave with it. When I was meditating, I was watching Koji leave the inn. He never took one step towards his bag, only put his clothes on." Hanabi said.

"Then that means he's had the advantage since he's arrived." Kenta said. "Split and find him. Throw an Exploding Tag into the air when you find him." Kenta said, and they all took off.

_(Somewhere near the Cloud Village)_

About 10 miles from The Village Hidden in the Clouds, Itachi and Kanzaki walked, their cloaks hidden in packs they took off some travelers in a caravan. They didn't need to kill them, so they left them unconscious, and Itachi's Sharingan put them in a Genjutsu they wouldn't escape for another few hours.

"How long until we arrive?" Itachi asked. "We are about 3 hours away at this pace." Kanzaki said, and Itachi nodded. "What is the reason we are risking our lives in Cloud?" Itachi asked. "I told you. I want to see if everyone is really dead." Kanzaki said.

"No other particular reason?" Itachi asked. She nodded, and Itachi shrugged. She looked like she was telling the truth, but something bad seemed like it was going to happen.

_(Kokiri Forest)_

Koji sat in a tree, and sighed. "Seems like this is going to test them to the extreme. Hope they can keep up." Koji mused to himself. He then looked down, and saw Satoshi there, a determined look on his face.

"You found me." Koji stated. "And I'll take that necklace around your neck!!" Satoshi summoned a Katana and a Wakizashi from his weapon scroll, and shot into the tree.

Koji jumped up, and blocked the katana with a kunai, and ducked when he swung the Wakizashi. He hopped back a few trees, and Satoshi followed, hopping from branch to branch. Koji tossed some shuriken at him, and Satoshi blocked them, and slipped.

The moment he slipped, Koji charged at him, and kicked him to the ground. Satoshi flipped, and landed on his feet, and tossed a kunai. Koji, without thinking about it, knocked the weapon high into the air, which caused it to explode.

"An Exploding Tag. That came at me with the intent to kill. At least you listen when you need to." Koji taunted, and Satoshi charged again, this time with a Halberd.

Koji stood his ground, as Satoshi ran at him. Thus began the battle of Satoshi swinging his weapon masterfully, and Koji ducking and weaving in an attempt to find an opening.

After a minute, Koji was getting a little frustrated. The boy handled the weapon like a pro, and trying a counterattack carelessly would result in severe pain. So he merely waited for him to falter, and he would have him. After a few more seconds, Satoshi left a small opening, and Koji took it.

He ducked, and was about to shove his foot into Satoshi's abdomen, but a kunai that would have impaled him forced him to hop back. He then spun, and used an electric fist to block a Jyuuken Strike from Hanabi. He then hopped back, and was surrounded on all sides.

"Hn. When did they get here?" Koji asked. He then flashbacked to the kunai with an Exploding Tag attached to it, and then it hit him. (Shit! I should have realized that something was up when Satoshi of all people tossed a kunai. That was meant to signal them to my location.) Koji thought to himself.

"That was some strategy." Koji said outloud, and the Genin all smirked. "But don't think it means that you can get me." Koji said, as he slid into his Tiger Fist. Hanabi took that as the start.

She shot from where she was standing, and took Koji head-on. Koji slid around, and an electric charged hand blocked her Jyuuken Strike. Koji tossed her aside, as Satoshi charged this time, with a Pike. Koji spun, and blocked the Pike when Satoshi swung it vertically. He caught it by moving a step forward, and grabbed the handle when it hit his shoulder. Since he stepped in, he avoided getting stabbed by the spike.

He pulled it, and dragged Satoshi forward. At the same time, Kenta was charging with a kunai. Before he could get near Koji though, a Shadow Clone smashed from underground, nearly hitting him in the head. He slid back, and Satoshi flew next to him. "Try harder, little men!!" Koji screamed, spinning the Pike over his head, before he held it in an offensive stance.

_(Cloud Village)_

Itachi and Kanzaki made it to the Cloud Village. It was nearing 5:00, and Itachi stated he would rather they camp outside the village once they found out whatever it was she needed to find out. Kanzaki nodded.

"Follow me." She said, and they both landed on top of the Village Gates. The Cloud Village held to its name alright. There was a fog that enshrouded the village, and it looked the most technologically advanced of the 5 Great Villages.

The Raikage, age 35, is said to be an incredibly powerful user of Lightning and Water based Jutsus. He isn't limited to them though, just preferred them. In short, he's like Sarutobi was in his prime.

"I hope Kyo-sama has been okay, since everything Kumo has had happened to it." Kanzaki muttered. "Your Raikage, what is he like?" Itachi asked, deciding to file this information away in the back of his mind.

"He's really silly! Though he is the leader of an entire village, he acts like he is a little kid." Kanzaki said. "Hn." Itachi replied. "But he is way powerful! Stronger than grandfather was!" Kanzaki said. "You mean Shiro Masamune?" Itachi asked. She nodded, and Itachi shook his head.

"That makes it all the more difficult to sneak in." Itachi muttered. "I guess." Kanzaki said, and Itachi sighed.

_(Kokiri Forest)_

6:30. They had half an hour before time was called. Koji had slipped through each attempt to steal his necklace they tried, and he even went as far as to lay his necklace on the ground, just so Satoshi could fall into a rope trap. (At this particular one, Koji fell to the ground, laughing hard about the sheer stupidity Satoshi had.)

Koji sat in a tree, listening to his music. (The Genin may not win, but I hope they see the true reason of this test.) Koji thought to himself. He then felt around using his chakra, and could sense Satoshi and Hanabi nearby, most likely preparing a last stand.

He hopped from his tree, and pulled out a kunai. He began to twirl it, and opened his ears. He heard a whizzing sound, and hopped away when 15 shuriken flew into the surrounding trees.

He then began to run, and saw Satoshi on one side, and Hanabi on another side, running alongside him a few feet away. What he never felt was the tripwire he broke while running, and he looked up in time to see a giant log attached to a vine. His eyes widened, and it crashed dead into him, launching him off the ground. He flew through the trees, and landed on a branch very awkwardly.

(Underestimating my enemy. Damn kids capitalize on it!) Koji screamed in his mind. He slid down the tree, and popped another tripwire. This time, a whole bunch of kunai shot from all directions, and Koji had only a few seconds to make the hand signs for the Lightning Dome Jutsu.

The kunai hit the dome harmlessly, and fell to the ground. He then thought he could smell smoke, and chanced a look to the kunai, which all held Exploding Tags. Before he could utter the usual foul mouth he used when in a bad situation, there was a giant explosion.

Hanabi and her team looked towards the giant black mushroom-like cloud that floated over the forest, and Satoshi smirked big. "Dude!! If we killed him, we proved we are stronger!!" Satoshi screamed, and Hanabi gave him a weird look.

"You shouldn't take pleasure in someone's death." Hanabi said. "That makes you inhuman." Kenta said. "I can't help it! That bastard has been acting all high and mighty towards us!" Satoshi said. "He's older than us. He has more experience than we do." Kenta said.

"So? Kakashi-sensei graduated to Chuunin when he was like 9! And became a Jounin at like 13!!" Satoshi screamed. "Well, none of us, including me, is Kakashi-sensei, are we?" The three Genin's eyes widened in fear, as Koji stood behind them, his Body Flicker creating a small wind.

They turned to look at him, and was disheartened at the smirk he held. "Guess what kiddies. Game Over." Koji said, and the glare from the setting sun made them all sigh. "Well, you all lost, but I can't help but think that you all passed." Koji said, and they looked at him surprised.

"You all showed quite the ability to pull together to give even a Jounin a run for his money. If I took you squirts lightly, you may have killed me on some occasions." Koji said.

"I guess that means we are ready. You three can hold your own, and I can take out the top two pain in the assess!" Koji said, thrusting his hand into the air, and the Genin all thrust their fists as well.

_(Cloud Village)_

"It's true. I didn't want to believe, but it's true." Kanzaki said. She and Itachi were standing at the Masamune Clan Compound. Though there were no bodies, they could still smell the scent of death and blood that wafted throughout the compound.

"I wonder. Did any of them live?" Kanzaki asked. "I would doubt it. The one who killed them all was very thorough." Both nin turned to see Shiro behind them, his arms crossed, and a smirk on his face.

_(Raikage's Tower)_

"Ryo-sama. Someone is here to see you." One of the Raikage's aides said. Ryo, 35, Yondaime Raikage, nodded. His dark purple eyes looked to the door, and was surprised to see Xin there. An ominous wind blew throughout the Raikage Tower (how, I will never know) and both their black full length hair danced in the wind. Xin's Jet Black and Ryo's Midnight Black.

"Xin Hiwatari. You've been M.I.A for a few years now." Ryo said, smirking. Xin didn't return the smirk like he usually would. "Some things beyond my control have popped up. I won't be returning to Kumo. In fact, I won't be in this world anymore." Xin said, and Ryo's eyes widened.

"What do you mean!?" Ryo asked. "Shiro is in town, last I checked. Find him. He knows. There is something I need to take care of." Xin said, and Ryo smiled sadly. "You always did go out of your way to cause trouble, didn't you Uncle X?" Ryo asked. Xin smiled.

"Che. You still refer to me as that, even after all these years. At least I know you're consistent." Xin said. "I'll see you later, 'nephew.' Xin said, as he walked out of the room. Ryo's smile didn't falter, as he turned to his advisor, Hikari.

"Hikari-chan. Watch the village. I got a call to make." Ryo said, and Hikari's eyes turned white. "NOT AGAIN, YOU BASTARD!!" He got away before she could stop him.

_(With Itachi)_

Kanzaki's eyes widened as Shiro stood across from her, smirking. Itachi retained his aloofness, but Kanzaki could tell he was ready in case something happened.

"So, my granddaughter has been with Akatsuki?" Shiro asked. "Jii-san! It isn't what you think!! I haven't turned my back on Kumo!!" Kanzaki said, worry filling her eyes.

"I know. You made a decision and are following through with it. There is nothing I can scold you about." Shiro said, walking. Kanzaki smiled, and nodded. Shiro walked past them, and in an instant it felt like time stopped.

Shiro had muttered something, and Itachi picked it up clearly. Shiro walked away, and Itachi managed a very small smile. (I see.) Itachi thought to himself.

"_She is precious to me. As long as she is happy, I could care less. If you do so much as make her cry, I will hunt you down myself. But you seem to be a bright lad, who can get himself out of trouble. You know what to do." _

Itachi sighed. (Easier said then done. She's too naïve for Akatsuki. That and she won't leave until Rei is dead.) Itachi then looked to the sky. (Shiro just charged me with a mission I don't think even the Mangekyo Sharingan can see to the end.)

Shiro took a few more steps, and felt that he was outside Itachi and Kanzaki's range. He turned to a tree, and saw Ryo sitting there, smirking. The wind picked up, and his Midnight Black hair danced along with Shiro's long orange hair.

"What brings Shiro-jii-san back to Kumo? Not for a mere visit." Ryo said. "I had to check to see if the family was truly all gone. Sad." Shiro said. "I met Xin earlier." Ryo said, and Shiro had a sad smile on his face.

"I know. Destiny took a rather nasty squat on his head, didn't it?" Shiro asked. "I should say. What's happened?" Shiro sighed, and regarded Ryo seriously. "It goes like this, from what he told me."

_(Kokiri Town)_

"Tommorow morning, we begin the infiltration. I got some info from the locals, and they told me the location of the base." Koji said. The Genin all nodded. "I'm going to warn you. This will be incredibly dangerous, and I won't be there to protect you guys for most of the time." Koji said.

"Then let us use that time to show we are not some green Genin! You'll see our true power!!" Satoshi said, and Hanabi smirked, while Kenta sighed. "You two are out there." Kenta said.

"Seeing as how we may be dead tomorrow, I guess there is something we should talk about." Koji said, looking serious. "And that is?" Kenta asked. "The facts of life!!" Koji said, and Hanabi sweat dropped. Kenta sighed, and Satoshi looked confused.

"What about life?" Satoshi asked. "As a final gift, I will teach you all about the birds and bees!!" Koji said. All three regarded him with white anime eyes, and looks of fear. "You're kidding, right?" Satoshi asked.

"You kids are at a young age. I learned about this stuff when I was your age." Koji said. (How or what I saw to learn it, they don't need to know about.) Koji thought, chuckling to himself. "Now, when a man loves a woman…"

_(Cloud Village)_

Shiro looked on impassively at Ryo's amazed look. "Xin is carrying that kind of burden against his will?" Ryo asked. "Yeah. He's always been the strongest will of the three. My eyes were the best, and Asuka was the best with Chakra Control." Shiro muttered.

"Killing him won't be easy if he's forced to use his full power." Ryo said. "That's best. He would rather die in a fight like that." Shiro said. "True. Uncle X is just like that." Ryo said.

"You know where Asuka is?" Shiro asked. "Last I checked, she had been somewhere in Water Country." Ryo said. "Hn. Who knows why she is there." Shiro said. "You should watch out for her. You know how she is." Ryo said.

"She's got a whole gang with her. Amazon Kunoichi. She won't be in trouble for a while." Shiro said.

_(Kokiri Town)_

Koji smirked at the scarred looks the Genin had. In some sick way, he took pleasure in seeing their looks of pure disgust. And then, both Kenta and Satoshi smirked quite evilly, and glanced to Hanabi, who began to blush from their looks.

"I wonder if Hanabi will be the first to engage in these interesting things." Satoshi said, and Hanabi turned crimson. "Eh!?" Koji said, surprised where this was going. "The way she blushes around Kiba would say enough." Kenta said, and Hanabi scowled at him, but her blush stayed put.

"Sh-shut up!!" Hanabi screamed, and Koji smirked as well. "I see young Hyuuga here has a crush." Koji said, laughing. Hanabi growled, and then it turned into an evil smirk.

"What about you?" Hanabi asked, as Kenta and Satoshi looked to him. "What about me?" Koji asked. "Both Neji-nii-san and Hinata-nee-chan both talk about how you are always picking on Sakura. That's a very juvenile way to show you like someone." Hanabi said, smirking.

"If you think you can-" Koji didn't finish, because Kenta used a Transformation Jutsu, turning into a nude Sakura, which caused Koji to shoot a geysher of blood from his nose. When he recovered, Satoshi and Kenta were on the ground, laughing outright. Hanabi was chuckling.

"Okay. You got me. I keep silent if you do, Hanabi-chan." Koji said. Hanabi nodded. "And if you two decide to spill, then I guarantee that what I will put you through will make you wish I learned Genjutsu." Koji said, and the boys nodded. "Well, sleep time! We got a mission to complete tomorrow!!" Koji said.

**ShadowRonin: The time to take on the bandits and their leader is approaching. Their leader is still unknown to Koji, but he has a hired Jounin Sword to fight for him. Is he cowardly, or just cautious? Find out!**

**Next Chapter: It is time. The assault on the bandit lair is in motion, and the team prepares for combat. Ryoko is sure to be there again, and what are the skills that the one called Toshiro have? Find out on:**

**Chapter 41: It's Time!! The Brawl Begins!!**


	41. Clash!

**Yo!! The confrontation begins now, as Koji and the Genin prepare to take on the bad guys and the bandits. Will the team win, or will they all be defeated? Find out.**

Chapter 41: It's Time!! The Brawl Begins!!

Koji stood at the start of the forest, waiting for the Genin. He told them the moment they arrived, they would begin to find the bandits, and drive them away. "Hope they packed well. I told them to make sure they could handle themselves. I'm sure I'm going to get separated from them." Koji muttered to himself.

"Well. It can't be helped. Of course if they die, it's my ass Tsunade roasts. And I don't want to think what Hinata and Neji will do to me when they find out Hanabi died." Koji then shuddered violently. "Don't worry sensei. We won't die." Koji smirked. "Then let's go." And so, Team Koji headed into the forest, towards the bandit lair.

_(Bandit Lair)_

"The boy from the Leaf Village is probably on his way by now." Toshiro, sitting in a chair in the Bandit Lair, said, smirking. "I will defeat him before he comes close." Ryoko said, as she began to walk away. "Hm hm hm. My dear Ryoko. The moment you ask for your pay, you'll get paid alright. My money for your life." Toshiro muttered darkly, smirking.

_(Oitside Lair)_

After a few hours, they found the lair. Of course, they dispatched a few bandits along the way. And by dispatch, I mean Koji stood by as the Genin owned.

"Okay, now we walk in, and drive these bastards away." Koji said, smirking. The three Genin lookes to the door, and noticed a tag on it. "Sensei. This thing has a Barrier Seal on it." Kenta said. Koji and Satoshi had question marks above their heads, and Hanabi sighed in irritation.

"It's a seal to prevent entry." Hanabi said. "Okay, here's the plan. Anyone knows how to dispel one of these babies?" Koji asked. "This one looks like you pour chakra into it." Kenta said. "Okay, stand back." Koji said. The Genin fell back, and Koji put his hand on the seal. He then calmed himself, and chakra began to siphon from his hand. He then shot his eyes open, and a powerful force of chakra blasted out, and the seal crumpled.

"Victory!" Satoshi said. Koji sighed, and then donned a serious look. "You guys go. I'll make sure nothing comes from behind." Koji said. The Genin nodded and left, though Hanabi looked suspicious about something. She then voiced her thought.

"Don't die, baka-sensei." Hanabi said, following Satoshi and Kenta. Koji chuckeld, and turned around. "Seems like we meet for Round Two." Koji said, and in the tree appeared the Star Eye-Patched Samurai, Ryoko. "You sensed me from the beginning, didn't you?" Ryoko asked.

"Of course." Koji said. (Didn't sense her till she appeared in the tree.) Koji thought to himself, sweat dropping. "Well, you got your fancy sword, Patchy-chan. I say we get right to it. The Genin will need my help eventually." Koji said.

_(Bandit Lair)_

Kenta, when a situation, like now, arises, was Team Leader. Koji had said so. He had the brains for it (Satoshi scowled at that) and he could keep his head when he needed to. (Hanabi knew that was a shot more at her than Satoshi)

"So, where do we go, Kenta?" Satoshi asked. "We need to stay quiet, and in narrow spaces. At worst, we can pick them off one by one." Kenta said. "Good idea." Hanabi said.

The moment they ran up a flight of stairs, there were 20 bandits, each wielding an axe. "How fare we in open field?" Satoshi asked, sweat dropping. "Conserve chakra. Don't use too much." Kenta said. "Sounds like fun!!" Hanabi said, as her Byakugan flared.

_(Outside)_

Ryoko slid off the tree, and once she was at the base, blasted off, leaving a dent. Koji almost was caught off guard, but he managed to summon a dark green Bo Staff from an index card.

(Getting Sanosuke to give me one of his Index Scrolls was ingenius.) Koji mused, as his staff clashed with her katana. "You aren't using the same weapon as last time." Ryoko said. "That one cost chakra to use. Chakra I don't have enough of to use stupidly. Not only must I beat you, but whoever the leader is, I may need it for him." Koji said, as she hopped away.

"I see. Then I guess I should take your life here and now." Ryoko said. "Good luck. Many have tried to defeat me, but only one has won." Koji said, and he took a defensive stance. "Then let me be the one to kill you." She then charged.

_(Inside)_

"These guys outnumber us. How do we fight back?" Satoshi asked. "I got an idea, follow me." Kenta said, as he began to run down the stairs. The others followed him, and the bandits followed. "What's the plan, coward!?" Satoshi screamed.

"Think, and you'll have it." Kenta said. Hanabi had caught on long ago, and Satoshi still was confused. "Watch." Hanabi said. They continued through the hall, and then Hanabi stopped and delivered a Jyuuken Strike to the closest one, and turned to run again.

"When we find a three way hallway that's narrow enough, we'll split up." Kenta said. "Cool." Satoshi said, still not getting it. They found said hallway, and split up. Since Kenta had been picking off the fastest bandits as they were running, each one had 5 following them.

_(Outside)_

Koji brought his staff up, and her katana clashed with it. He slid back from the blow. (Damn. She's using chakra to increase the power of her blows.) Koji thought to himself.

His back hit the tree, before he ducked when she swung her blade, nearly taking his head off. He thrust his staff, and it sent her flying back. She flipped, and landed on her feet, and Koji sweat dropped.

(Ah son of a BITCH!!) Koji screamed in his mind, and he charged at her. She brought her Katana up, and blocked the staff. He then jumped back, and threw the staff with everthing he had. Ryoko easily dodged it, but when she tried to find Koji, he was gone.

"Looking for me, Patchy-chan?" Koji's voice reverberated throught the forest. "I'll give you a hint. You really wish to know?" Koji asked. "Then chance a look under your feet." Ryoko looked down, and was surprised that her feet were slowly being eaten by the ground.

"You can use Genjutsu." Ryoko said, looking across to Koji, who was standing on the swamp, smirking. "You won't escape. Now, have fun sin-" Then, all of a sudden, the illusion shattered, and Koji's eyes widened.

"That Genjutsu was pathetic." Ryoko was behind him, and her blade was pressed to his throat. Instead of looking startled, he smirked. "I guess it's too late to say I suck at Genjutsu." Koji said. "Then why try it?" Ryoko said smugly.

"Because that would be most unexpected. Now, why try something when you suck at it?" Koji said, before his smirk widened. "Easy, to throw your foe off. And now, you are propped up behind me, and your C-Cup is pressed right into my back." Koji said. He felt the sword press into his throat, and could tell he got into her head.

"Don't try to kill me. You'll regret it, the moment I go BOOM!!" And with that, Koji exploded, an Electric Bomb Clone was what she had killed.

Koji stood in the tree, shaking his head. "I really hate killing people, especially women. I guess it couldn't be helped though." Koji said, and then he sighed. "She was real cute though." Koji then felt something, and turned in time to see a black flash heading towards him.

(Shit! I dropped my Bo when I used my Genjutsu!!) Koji reached into his pocket, and pulled out his Chakra Staff. He turned, and in quick flashes of weapon attacks, he was knocked out of the tree, and onto his back. Before he could move, a blade was pressed to his throat, and he could see the blue Eye Patch. (……Damn….) Ryoko was on top of him, ready to administer the killing blow.

_(Inside)_

Kenta ran along the corridor, and picked off his 5 bandits in order of speed. He sighed. That was rather easy. He just hoped Satoshi didn't do anything stupid. Hanabi had also finished her 5 off by using her Gentle Fist. She knew Kenta was probably finished by now, and Satoshi may need their help. When she came back to the three way section, she was surprised to see Satoshi there, sitting cross legged, smirking.

"Funny. The royal of the group couldn't beat the 'idiot'." Satoshi said, smirking. "You trying to start something, Dead Last?" Hanabi asked. "Dead Last!? You lost to me! That makes YOU the Dead Last!!" Satoshi screamed back, and Hanabi's Byakugan activated.

"You want to try me, teme?" Hanabi asked darkly. "Watch it, Hanabi! You know damn well I hate being reminded about my parents!" Satoshi screamed back, his hands going to his Weapons Scroll.

"Your dead parents should be the last thing you worry about." Hanabi said, sliding into the Gentle Fist Stance. **"YOU BITCH!!"** Satoshi summoned a Short Sword, and charged with every intent to kill. Hanabi smirked, and prepared to defend herself.

Neither could begin their fight, because the ground shot up, and trapped them both. "You two are so intolerable." Kenta walked back, frowning at both of them. "The idea of being on a team means we don't kill each other." Kenta said.

"She was making comments she had no business making!!" Satoshi screamed, anger radiating off of him. "Get over it, Satoshi. In case you forgot, I have no parents either. In fact, I don't have an older sister to watch out for me." Kenta said, glaring at Satoshi, which caused his eyes to widen, before he looked to the ground looking guilty.

"And Hyuuga, just because you lived a better life doesn't mean you get to rub it in his face. That just makes you an ass." Kenta said, deciding to use a less vulgar word.

"Look. I think it's a shame that the kid with nothing to lose leads, but that's how it is. Get used to it, and each other's strengths and weaknesses." Kenta said, and the rocks crumbled, freeing the two nin.

(He didn't have to be so blunt about the truth…) Satoshi thought to himself. Hanabi merely smiled sadly. "When did you become this mature?" Hanabi asked. "One of us has to. I'd rather it not be me. I hate being stern with people." Kenta sighed. "Now, if you two are done fighting, let's go." Kenta said. Satoshi then brightened up, and cheered.

"TO BATTLE!!" Satoshi screamed, and he took off. Kenta sighed annoyed. "Loudmouth." Kenta mumbled, before he looked to Hanabi, who smiled. "Thanks, Kenta-kun." She said, and Kenta blinked, before he coughed, pink tinting his cheeks.

"I-It's cool, Hanabi-chan…" Kenta replied, and Hanabi looked a little confused, before her last comment came to her mind, and she blushed a little, and Satoshi looked back from the stairs. "Hey, you two! If you are done openly flirting with each other, let's go!!" Satoshi screamed from atop the stairs. Both nin blushed even darker, and followed. Satoshi smirked when they couldn't see his face. (Shame that I'm perceptive when I feel like being perceptive.) Satoshi chuckled to himself.

_(Outside)_

(Well, this is an incredibly bad situation.) Koji took that time to muse to himself. Ryoko was dead on top of him, with her katana inches from his neck.

"Well damn. I thought I got you when we clashed weapons earlier." Koji muttered. "Seems you-" Ryoko's reply was cut short, as her top was ripped to shreds in front of their eyes, revealing she wore no bra. Koji's eyes turned anime white, and he turned red. Ryoko looked unfazed, but she blushed nonetheless.

"Not looking! Not looking!!" Koji chanted like a prayer, hoping she wouldn't kill him outright. "You are embarrassed?" She asked. "You live in a rock!? Your Boobs are hanging in front of my face!!" Koji screamed, as he closed his eyes tightly.

"But we aren't doing anything intimate." She said, innocent confusion showing on her face and tone. "That's beside the point!! If I die, I die remembering your mountains!!" Koji screamed, and then blushed even deeper when he spoke his mind.

"And that is bad?" She asked. **"YES!!"** Koji screamed. "How so?" Ryoko asked, and Koji had the decency to sweat drop. "It just is!!" Koji screamed. "Look! If you're going to kill me, kill me now!!" Koji said, as he formed a quick seal. In an instant, two Koji ran at her, Piercing Claws in their palms.

She jumped away, and both Koji's missed. Koji hopped to his feet, and his clones disappeared. "Missed." Koji muttered, as she landed across from him. Her boobs continued jiggling, and Koji blushed while sweat dropping.

"**HAVE YOU NO DECENCY!?"** Koji screamed. "Huh?" She asked. **"FOR THE LOVE OF-"** Koji yanked his black over shirt off, and tossed it to her. She looked at it oddly, before Koji growled. "Put the damn shirt on so I can defeat you!!" Koji screamed.

She did that, and Koji nearly rammed his head into a tree. It did nothing to cover her nipples, and Koji scowled to himself. He walked back to his backpack, and pulled out a dark blue bandana. "If it wouldn't bother you, please tie your package up with this." Koji said calmly.

"I have no packages to tie up…" She said slowly, and Koji stared at her with a look that said 'are you kidding me!?' **"WILL YOU PUT THE GOD DAMN BANDANA ON AND COVER YOUR MOUNTAINOUS BOOBS!?"** Koji screamed in exasperation, and she nodded, not quite getting why he was acting like this.

She tied them, and Koji let out a deep sigh. (I think I lost 15 years during this fight.) Koji thought, crying mentally. "If we are ready…" Koji muttered, and Ryoko looked confused. "My katana is gone." She said. "Nope. It's right here." Koji said, as he began to swing the thing like a pendulum, before he tossed it with everything he had, piercing a tree. "Now, we fight hand to hand. My specialty!!" Koji said, smirking.

_(Inside)_

The Genin Trio walked around the lair. It was quiet, too quiet. "So, what were you and Kenta talking about, Hyuuga?" Oh how they both wished for the quiet.

"Nothing that concerns you!" Hanabi shot back, while Kenta merely had his eyes closed, groaning mentally. (Here it comes…) "So it was a private conversation, just for the two of you?" Satoshi asked, smirking.

Hanabi blushed and scowled, and looked to Kenta, pleading for help. Since his eyes were closed, he missed the distressed look she had. "Satoshi, please stop teasing Hanabi about the fact that you are jealous over the fact that you will never have a conversation with a girl." Kenta said, and Satoshi scowled.

"Don't defend your girlfriend!!" Satoshi said. "Why not?" Kenta asked. "So she IS your girlfriend!?" Satoshi asked, smirking. "Yeah." Hanabi blushed fiercely. "She is a girl, who is my friend. That's not a problem, is it?" Kenta asked, and Satoshi scowled.

"**YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!"** Satoshi screamed in anger, and Kenta smirked. "As much as I would love to keep this conversation going, we need to probably leave." Kenta said, as a shadow appeared in front of them.

"Why!?" Satoshi screamed, and Kenta sighed. "This guy. We can't take him." Kenta said. "Yes we can!! We don't quit!! Never Give Up!! Never Give In!! Rise From the Fire if your Gonna Win!!" Satoshi said.

"You just quoted Masterplan…" Kenta said, as him and Hanabi had dot eyes. **"WHAT'S YOUR FUCKING POINT!? YOU REALLY THINK HE'LL LET US WALK AWAY!?"** At that comment, Kenta had a wary look at the man, who walked into some light, showing his orange wild hair.

"Children have no right wandering through my domain." He said, and smirked. "We aren't children!! We are kick ass ninja!" Satoshi said. "Well then, I guess I can't hold back for ninja." He said, and he released his chakra, which felt quite heavy to the Genin.

"Ng!? Did gravity just get heavier!?" Satoshi asked. "No. This is his chakra. It's suffocating." Kenta said. "You still wish to fight, children?" He asked, smirking. Kenta and Hanabi were quiet, but Satoshi growled angrily. "I'll show you who's the child!!" He screamed, charging. "Shit!!" Kenta said, as him and Hanabi were forced to follow.

**ShadowRonin: Koji and Ryoko continue their battle, as the Genin run into the Jounin that runs the bandits, Toshiro. Will they be alright? Find out.**

**Next Chapter: Battles begin and end as Koji and Ryoko finish their fight, and the Genin begin to fight Toshiro. What are the skills of this nin? Fin out on:**

**Chapter 42: Both Sides Clash!! Sand Runaway!!**


	42. Genin vs Jounin: Koji vs Ryoko

**Yo!! The confrontation begins now, as Koji and the Genin prepare to take on the bad guys and the bandits. Will the team win, or will they all be defeated? Find out.**

Chapter 42: Both Sides Clash!! Sand Runaway!!

Koji charged the girl, and cocked his fist back, as she looked on disinterested. When he was a step away, he swung for the fences. With a gleam in her eye, Ryoko slid Koji's fist away, and tripped him up, and tossed him over her shoulder. Koji hit a tree upside down backfirst.

(What the hell just happened?) He thought, as he laid there on his head. (She just tossed me, and made it look easy…) He turned so he was laying on his back, and turned his head to her. He then brought his legs up, and flipped so he was back on his feet.

"Lucky shot." He said, before he charged again. He tried to punch her again, and like last time, she tossed him over her shoulders. This time, Koji recovered in mid-air, and landed on his feet.

He then smirked, and chuckled. "I see what you're doing now." He said, and Ryoko smirked. "You use my momentum in your advantage, and toss me around. Well, that ends now!!" Koji said, charging. This time he tried a flying kick, but she sidestepped it.

He then turned, and tried to back hand her. She caught it, and began to attempt to wrestle him to the ground. This time, Koji brought his foot up, and kicked her in the gut, and launched himself away. He backflipped, and landed on his feet as she slid back, holding her stomach. "Not this time! I know your style, and I plan on beating you!!"

_(Bandit Lair)_

Kenta knew this was an incredibly bad situation. The guy they were facing looked like he was on a level that only Koji would be able to fight on a fair plane. But in order for Koji to take a crack at him, they would need to stall till Koji got there.

"Satoshi! Don't charge this guy recklessly." Kenta said, thought it was pointless since Satoshi charged as he screamed it. Satoshi summoned a katana, and began to swing it.

The man with the orange hair dodged them like it was child's play, and kicked Satoshi in the gut. "I don't want to waste my skills on some brats like you three." He said, as Hanabi activated her Byakugan. "You guys. We need to work numbers against this guy. I have a plan." Kenta said. "I'm listening." Hanabi said.

"I want you and Satoshi to Joint Attack him. I'll attack from a distance with jutsus and weapons." He said, as Satoshi flashed next to Hanabi. "You heard me, Loudmouth?" Kenta asked. "Loud and clear. Come on Hanabi!!" Satoshi said, smirking, as him and Hanabi shot towards the orange haired man. He looked on disinterested, and dodged their attacks.

_(Outside the Lair)_

Koji launched from a tree, and his fist was caught by Ryoko, who tossed his fist away, making him lose balance. He used that off-balance to bring his hand around, and she brought her wrists up to block a hammer smash.

She grabbed his wrist, and he thrust his other palm towards her chest. She caught his hand, and clasped his fingers with hers. He growled, and brought his other fist back, and tried to hit her, but she used the hand that she had grabbed to drag him to the ground, and had a choker hold on him.

Before it could get too dicey, he released a blast of chakra, and she flew away. She landed on her feet, just as Koji came barreling at her. She ducked under his punch, and tried to flip him over her again. This time, Koji caught her arm, and twisted in mid-air so he would land on his back, and sent her flying over him.

He then flipped to his feet, as she landed on her back, and slid to her feet. "Hn. It wouldn't be so much of a bad thing if you could NOT get back to your feet, would it?" Koji muttered.

_(inside)_

Kenta growled in irritation. This guy HAD to be a Jounin. He was dodging their attacks so easily and as though they weren't worth his time. In reailty, he probably wasn't, but he thought Hanabi and Satoshi would land at least 2 hits each. Sadly, that never happened, and the Genin looked like they were running out of gas.

(Hn. Time to bluff it.) "Okay big guy. Time for our ultimate attack! This attack killed that samurai girl!!" Kenta said, smirking. The man raised an eyebrow, and smirked.

"Bring it, little boy." Kenta stopped smirking, and donned a serious look, as Satoshi and Hanabi were next to him. "Hanabi, can you use that specialty jutsu of the Hyuuga Clan? You know, the one Neji did back at the Chuunin Exams three years ago?" Kenta asked.

"Yeah. You got a plan, Kenta-kun?" Hanabi said, not realizing she added kun to his name unconsciously. "Yeah. When the moment is right, I want you to seal those points. Be prepared." He said, as he turned to Satoshi.

"We are going to play distraction." Satoshi smirked at that, and summoned a MorningStar. "Alright!!" He screamed, as he tossed the spiked ball at the man, who sidestepped it. He was surprised when Satoshi tugged the chain, and it looked like the chain was beginnig to ensnare him. He jumped into the air, and caught a kunai.

He then noticed the Exploding Tag on it, and tossed it back to Satoshi, who was protected by Hanabi's Rotation. As the man was falling, Kenta began making signs, and slammed his hand into the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth Spire Jutsu!!" Kenta said, as spikes of earth shot out of the ground towards the man. He merely landed on the spikes safely, and charged for the Genin. Hanabi smirked, and the Yin-Yang symbol appeared under her.

(Shame for you. You're in the Zone of my 8 Trigrams.) Hanabi thought to herself, as her stance changed. (Hn? A stance change?) The man thought, as he charged. She then spun, and brought her hands onto his stomach.

"2 Palms!!" She spun, and began slamming her fingers into his Chakra Points. "4 Palms!!" "8 Palms!!" She slid around, as her speed began to increase. "16 Palms!!" The man stood taking this abuse, as her attacks were hitting home. "32 Palms!!" Kenta and Satoshi watched in awe as she wailed on him. "64 Palms!!" With that, she blasted him across the room, and he slid on the floor.

Hanabi stood back in the Gentle Fist Stance, panting a little, and de-activated her Byakugan. "Damn, Hanabi!! That was sweet!!" Satoshi screamed, as Kenta nodded. "I'd say we did it." Kenta said, before something felt off. At the next moment, he felt something attach to his back, and his movements were stopped.

"Guys! I can't move!" Kenta said, panicking. Satoshi was about to intervene, but he couldn't move either. Hanabi activated her Byakugan, and saw Chakra Strings attached to their backs. She found out what happened, but she didn't make a move to stop it.

"You are quite insightful, girl. Too bad you didn't get a chance to save them in time." The man in orange was sitting on the balcony, Chakra Strings attached to his fingertips, which had control of the kids. "You are now all my Human Puppets. You don't have to worry about stalling for your senei, because you three will kill him." He said, smirking.

_(Outside)_

Koji stood across from Ryoko, catching his second wind. He was relieved that she was wearing down as well, and was tired like him. "I need to hurry this up." Koji muttered to himself, as he got back into his Tiger Fist Stance. She held her stance, and waited for Koji to move.

Koji yelled a battle cry, and charged at her. He tried to kick her in the side, but she caught his kick. She then brought her hand to Koji's chest, and tackled him to the ground.

Using that momentum, Koji spun on his back, and reversed her tackle, bringing her to her back. He slammed her hands above her, and used his other hand to hold a kunai to her neck.

"Sorry, you lose." He said, smirking at her calm look. "Your contractor. Who is he?" Koji asked. "Why should I answer you?" She asked. "Because if you don't, I'll take your life here and now." He said, hoping she wouldn't call his bluff. She looked thoughtful for a few seconds, before she sighed.

"His name is Toshiro. He is a Missing Nin from the Sand Village." She said, and Koji nodded. "Now, you need to get out of here." Koji said, standing. He pocketed his kunai, and noticed that she stood with him.

"What's wrong now?" Koji asked, as a Shadow Clone went to retrieve her katana. "Thanks for retrieving Bushido for me." She said, and Koji shrugged. "I have no business with you." Koji said, before he noticed she was walking behind him.

"Okay, why are you following me?" Koji asked. "In my village, if you lose to a man, you must commit your life to him." Ryoko said, and Koji's eyes turned white. (WHAT!?) Koji screamed in his mind, before he groaned irritably. He then had an idea. He may get in trouble next time he saw him, but he would live.

"Do you know where the Sand Village is?" Koji asked, as Ryoko nodded. "Okay. I want you to find the Kazekage, and ask for this person on the scroll." He said, writing on a scroll. He gave it to her, and smirked. "Don't mind his demeanor. He's a good guy."

_(Inside)_

The man in orange hair sat on the balcony, as the Genin sat on the ground like discarded puppets. "I think it's time, Toshiro." He looked to the ground, and saw a boy with what looked like dreadlocks in a green tank top and dark blue shorts.

"Ah, you must be their Jounin Sensei." He said, as Koji smirked. "You must be the Sand Missing Nin. Sorry, but you've terrorized the town for too long. Time to pay up what you owe in bruises and bumps." Koji said, and Toshiro smirked.

"Hn. But I wonder. Do you have the will to attack your students?" Toshiro said, as he used his fingers to control the Genin, who all looked at Koji sheepishly. "Sorry sensei…they got us…" Kenta said.

"Good!! You aren't dead!" Koji said, smirking. "What do you plan to do?" Hanabi asked. "Easy! Break you guys from his control, and defeat him, then turn him over to the proper authorities!!" Koji said, as he got into his Tiger Fist Stance. Toshiro smirked, as he used the strings to get the Genin into their stances.

**ShadowRonin: Koji and Toshiro square off, but before Koji can lay waste to Toshiro, he has to save his teammates. A modern ninja take on Hostage Situations.**

**Next Chapter: Koji and Toshiro begin their fight, but before anything happens, Koji must free his Genin from his grasp. Can he do it without killing any of the Genin? Find out on:**

**Chapter 43: Jounin Clash!! Toshiro vs. Koji!! The Genin Puppet Show!!**


	43. Jounin Clash Part 1

**Yo!! The fight begins now! Koji and Toshiro, a Jounin clash that is going to be great!**

**Side Note: On August 15th, I will be continuing Tales of a Sun Nin and Misadventures of an American Nin. If you like those two stories, then rejoice. If you haven't read them at all, you should give them a try. They are works I started earlier, but I think they are still good. So read an enjoy all three.**

Chapter 43: Jounin Clash!! Toshiro vs. Koji!! The Genin Puppet Show!!

Koji looked on in his stance, as the three Genin were looking like they were prepping to attack. "Man. Hope I don't kill you three." Koji said, as he charged. Hanabi took off from where she was, and Koji's eyes widened.

(She's faster!? When did she get this-) Koji halted his thought, as Hanabi's palms slammed into his blocked arm, and he felt the chakra in his arm flucuate painfully.

(Her Byakugan isn't actvated. How did she do that?) He thought, as Satoshi charged with a Short Sword. Satoshi was swinging his blade with more skill than Koji recognized. His eyes widened, as he ducked under a kunai.

(This guy. He's a puppeteer. I heard about these guys while I as in Sand. Is this guy so skilled in his craft that all he needs is to see his opponent's moves and he can replicate them perfectly?) He thought to himself, amazed. He then brought his hands into a seal, as a dome of electricity blocked all the kunai flying at him.

He landed, and slid a Jyuuken Strike out of the way, and tossed Hanabi into Satoshi. He then spun around, and blocked a kunai with an electric palm, and kicked Kenta away. He then got into his stance, and smirked at Toshiro.

"You thought you could beat me with my own Genin? Well, you're wrong, Doll Boy." Koji said, smirking, as Toshiro glared. "You must think you're pretty good, boy. Worry about that when you kill your Genin to save your life." He said, as Kenta began making seals.

"Earth Style: Earth Spire Jutsu!!" He slammed his palm into the ground, and earth pillars of sharpness shot out of the ground, heading for him. (You're kidding! He can make them use jutsus as well!?) Koji jumped away, and dodged the attack.

"This will be tough. The Genin are moving with speed and skill that they don't normally have. It's his control." Koji muttered, as he brought his hands to form one of his specialties.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!!" He said, as 3 clones appeared. "A Shadow Clone Jutsu? So, you are from the Leaf Village." He said. "Heh. You could say that." Koji said. "So, I face the Will of Fire, huh? That never give in attitude that all Leaf Nin share." Toshiro said, as Koji smirked.

"Nope." Toshiro's eyes narrowed in confusion, and Koji smirked. "It's true that I know the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and don't like to quit, but those guys do it on a higher determination than I do. Me, I have a different element on my side." Koji said, as the Lightning Pendant he wore flashed, and Toshiro's eyes widened.

"I harbor the Lightning Country's will. The Mind of Lightning!!" Koji said, as Toshiro closed his eyes. "I see. The Mind of Lightning. The ability to outthink any opponent they are forced to face. They come up with plans, and carry them out. Heh." Toshiro said, as he began to make the Genin charge Koji.

Koji merely smirked, as he began to make hand signs. Toshiro tried to see what was going on, but Koji and his clones began to disappear right in front of his eyes. He then widened his eyes. "Genjutsu?" He asked. He looked down, and his feet were slipping into a marsh-like muck. He closed his eyes, and smirked.

"You would try such a low level Genjutsu on me? Release!!" He said, and formed a seal, and the Genjutsu broke. Koji looked on, his eyes wide with surprise. "Crap. That was my best jutsu." Koji said outloud, and Toshiro smirked. "Well, that would mean you are way under my feet then, doesn't it?" He said, as he began to use his finger to- Wait!! He couldn't move his fingers!!

"What!? What the hell did you do to my fingers!?" He screamed, as the three Genin turned towards Toshiro. His eyes widened when he saw three sets of brown eyes. "You seem to have jumped the gun when I said that I had used my best jutsu. That was my best _Genjutsu!_" Koji said, smirking, as the three Genin turned into Koji Shadow Clones.

"When you fell for those few seconds, I replaced the Genin with my clones, and had them releasing a small stream of electric chakra, paralyzing your fingers." Koji said, as the Shadow Clones disappeared.

"You are quite smart, boy. Using my Puppet Master Jutsu against me." Toshiro said, and Koji smirked even more. "It was a move that I thought up after I noticed that you moved them using your fingers. You can't beat me using my own crew." Koji said, and Toshiro smirked.

"You are right. I can't. Looks like I have to fight using one of my own puppets." He said, as he reached for the bandaged thing on his back. He flipped it over his head, and slammed it into the rail. "Time for me to fight for real." He jumped off the balcony, and landed across from Koji, the bandages began to come off the thing, revealing a brown puppet with six arms.

"Say hello to Sheeba." He said, and the white haired puppet began to come to life. "Hn. The paralysis wore off I see." He muttered. Koji took his stance, and Toshiro gave him a blank look. "Sorry boy, but you need to die." He said, and Sheeba charged Koji.

**ShadowRonin: This is going to be fun. Koji gets a new kind of fight, against one who doesn't fight personally. Can Koji pull ahead and win?**

**Next Chapter: Toshiro shows what a Puppeteer can do when he battles Koji. Can the Phoenix pull ahead of this one, or has he picked a fight he can't win? Find out on:**

**Chapter 44: Jounin Clash Part 2: The Six Armed Puppet!! Dance of Blades!!**


	44. Jounin Clash Part 2

**Yo!! The fight begins now! Koji and Toshiro, a Jounin clash that is going to be great!**

Chapter 44: Jounin Clash Part 2: The Six Armed Puppet!! Dance of Blades!!

"You think Koji is alright?" Back in the Shadow Blade Lab, on an island off the coast of Konoha, stood the Shadow Three. "If I know him, he's probably alright." Dosu said, as Kin and Zaku nodded.

"I bet he is doing something stupid." Zaku said. "Probably." Dosu said. "What about his friends?" Zaku asked. "Meh. His friends are just as eccentric and weird as he is." Dosu said. "I don't know. I think he has good friends." Kin said and Dosu smirked in her direction.

"You are thinking of Sanosuke, aren't you?" Zaku asked, smirking as well. To their surprise, Kin didn't try to deny it. Her cheeks were dusted pink, but she nodded. "I don't know why, but I wish I could see him again." Kin said. "Destiny is a weird thing that it is. I'm sure down the road, you both will meet again." Dosu said.

_(Bandit Lair)_

Koji stood in his Tiger Stance, as Toshiro had Sheeba charge him. Sheeba then flew into the sky, and barreled at Koji. He then tried a punch, but Koji blocked it.

He was surprised when one of the arms began to rotate in an attempt to hit him in the back of his head. He ducked under it, and slid around to dodge the other three fists coming at him. He back flipped backwards 5 times, before he hopped into the air and launched Lightning Guns at the puppet.

The puppet dodged the attacks like it was child's play, and Koji scowled. (That damn puppet is way too slippery.) He thought, as the thing's arms opened, and knives shot out.

Koji managed to dodge them all, and caught the last one, flinging it at Toshiro. He merely flung his hands back, and Sheeba flew back to block the knife. "Hn. Thing's sturdy enough to block weapons." Koji analyzed, and slid into his stance.

Toshiro then had Sheeba charge again. This time, Koji jumped over the puppet, and launched a Lightning Gun at Toshiro, who couldn't' block with the puppet, so he dodged it. Toshiro's eyes then widened when Koji appeared in front of him, his right hand sparking with chakra.

"Got you! Piercing Lightning Claw!!" Koji screamed, and charged with his attack. Instead of panicking, Toshiro released some of the Chakra Strings on Sheeba, and connected them to Koji's hands. He managed to redirect the attack to fly right by him, and used his other hand to get Sheeba to attack Koji. The thing gave Koji a Triple Punch and he flew into the wall, hitting it hard. He sat on the ground, as all six of Sheeba's arms produced swords, and held them. Koji scoffed, and stood to his feet. "Six swords, eh? Now it's interesting." He said.

The Genin were finally coming to, and they saw Koji standing across from the Puppet Man, who was now wielding a six armed puppet with a sword in each hand.

"Ng. What happened?" Satoshi asked. "Koji is what happened." Hanabi turned to look at Kenta, and he was looking intently at the battle. At that moment, Koji charged with a battle cry. Toshiro began to move his fingers, and the puppet began to swing the blades, as Koji masterfully ducked and weaved around the attacks.

"You should watch this, Satoshi." Kenta said, and the other two Genin looked at him. "This is a battle between two Jounin Elite. This kind of power isn't something that is always watched." Kenta said, as Satoshi gazed at the battle.

(This kind of battle, the pressure from their chakra. It's suffocating.) Kenta turned, and noticed both Satoshi and Hanabi looked awed at this display. "I'd say not to worry. Koji will win." Kenta said. They both looked at Kenta, and nodded.

At this point, Koji had no choice but to pull out his Chakra Staff, and use his chakra to create the Chakra Staff, and used it to begin to block the six armed attack. He was dancing and flashing all around the puppet, as it spun and attacked.

(Damnit! I can't find a good opening, and his chakra isn't exactly dropping.) Koji mused to himself, as he was still ducking, blocking, and weaving around these attacks. He then blocked three swords, and tried to strike, only to have the puppet hop away, and launch what looked like a poisoned knife towards him.

Koji batted it out of the sky, and Koji kicked the puppet in its wodden jaw. It flew into the air, and Koji took off after it.

That in his part was a bad move.

With a flick, Toshiro pulled his arm back, and Sheeba shot to the ground. Koji's eyes widened, and he knew he was at a disadvantage. Sheeba hit the ground, and shot back at Koji, who had began to make hand seals.

"Give it up kid. You can't hope to stop an attack from mid-air unless you can fly." Toshiro said, and Sheeba pointed it's six blades at Koji, who gave a small smirk. "Don't need wings to fly." Koji said, as he pointed his fist at the ground.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Beam Jutsu!!" Koji said, as he blasted a giant beam at Sheeba, who flew out of the way. Koji really didn't think that attack would hit, but that wasn't what he was shooting to do. He shot into the air, as Sheeba followed him. Koji flipped, and landed on the ceiling, and shot back.

"The ceiling eh?" Toshiro said, as he smirked. Koji flew, and missed Sheeba, as he pulled out a Demon Wind Shuriken. "Drop dead!!" Koji screamed, and tossed it. Toshiro smirked. He tossed it at Toshiro, thinking he could hit him. He lazily dodged it, and his eyes widened when he could hear a sizzling sound. "Taste my Demon Wind Bomb!!" Koji screamed, as the shuriken exploded.

Koji landed on his feet, as the dust picked up, and engulfed him. He closed his eyes, and let the dust clear a little, before he heard a dark laughter. He turned, as he felt something pierce his body. His eyes had widened, and he coughed up blood. Toshiro got him.

Satoshi and Kenta couldn't see what was happened, and turned to Hanabi, who had her Byakugan activated. "What do you see, Hanabi?" Satoshi asked, who's eyes were wide from what she saw.

"He can't be…" "He can't be what!? What's happening!?" Satoshi asked, and Hanabi closed her eyes. "He's…gone?" Kenta asked, and Hanabi didn't answer. "What did you see, Hyuuga!?" Satoshi screamed.

"I saw him get run through with six blades!!" Hanabi screamed back, and the other two's eyes widened. They turned to the fight as the dust cleared up, and there stood Koji, his stomach having six blades in it. Toshiro gave off a sick laugh, as he watched with cold eyes as Koji coughed some blood up.

"Che. Some 'Jounin' you were." He twitched his finger, and the puppet pulled the swords out, making blood spew everywhere. "No…" Kenta muttered. "NO WAY!!" Satoshi screamed, terror in his eyes. Hanabi went silent, as her hair covered her eyes.

"Seems like he was all talk!!" Satoshi screamed, as tears slowly leaked out his eyes. "He said we would all survive!! And what happens!? He goes and dies!!" "SHUT UP!!" Satoshi and Hanabi looked to Kenta, who's hair was also covering his eyes.

"It isn't respectful to talk about the dead like that." Kenta said, and Satoshi was about to retort, before they all felt a chakra signature. Toshiro turned, and his eyes widened. (No! It can't be!!) Koji was barreling towards him, his hair transformed and his staff ready to strike.

He hastily pulled, and Sheeba appeared next to him, it's blades ready for defense. Koji yelled and swung, and it blasted into the swords. They were in a deadlock, before Koji's staff shot away, and Sheeba's swords were shattered into pieces. (Koji!! He's alive!?) Kenta asked. (He moved with such speed and precision!! When did he appear, and from where!?) Hanabi asked. (He shattered those swords!?) Satoshi thought.

Koji zipped right by, and slid so he was sliding backwards, as he prepared his right fist for his attack. "Shame Toshiro!! I don't feel so dead!! Don't write me off so quickly!!" Koji launched off the wall, and his Piercing Lightning Claw came to life.

"Ha!! You won't get me!!" Toshiro screamed, as Sheeba flew in front of him. Koji ran his fist forward, and Sheeba brought his fists forward, and a Chakra Shield formed, and Koji's attack was deflected. He flew back, and landed, before his Piercing Claw began to flash stronger.

"You are going to try again?" Toshiro asked, and his eyes widened when he could hear a howling sound, and Koji's fist was flashing even stronger than before. "Don't belittle my will. That first one was to see if you DID have a Chakra Shield. Kankuro told me of some Puppeteers who could create shields like that. I was merely testing it, and it failed." Koji said, and he brought his hand back.

"You dare to say I failed!?" Toshiro screamed. "Yep. Because this attack is at least 4 times stronger!!" Koji said, taking off. Toshiro brought Sheeba up, and the barrier was up.

"Say goodnight!! Lightning Wolf Claw!!" Koji's fist smashed into the barrier like a wolf running it's fangs into its prey, and it created a white flash of lightning blasting from the barrier.

Then, as though the wall gave in, the barrier shattered, and Sheeba's arms were disentigrating. Toshiro's eyes widened in fear, and before he knew it, Koji's fist smashed into his chest, like a wolf bite, and sent him packing. He hit the wall really hard, and didn't move. He was unconscious, and Koji smirked.

"Want to doubt my credibility as a Jounin now? Well, you lost to me. You are a Jounin, and I won. So that makes me a Jounin as well!!" Koji said, and he turned to the Genin. "Tie him up. We won, and I'm sure Gaara would like to know that a Missing Nin is captured." He said, and the Genin looked at him in awe.

"I see you woke up and saw the match. Well, any doubts?" Koji asked, as he did a Shadow Clone Jutsu and tied Toshiro up. Another Shadow Clone walked outside, as though waiting for someone.

Koji and the Genin sat outside, Toshiro tied up and unconscious, as a squad of Sand ANBU appeared. "You sent for Sand ANBU!?" Satoshi screamed. "Of course. It's not the Leaf's Ninja we caught. This is a Sand Ninja." Koji said, as the ANBU picked Toshiro up.

"We thank you." The leader in a turtle mask said. Koji shrugged, and they took off. "So, ready to call it a day?" Koji asked. The Genin all nodded, and Satoshi smirked.

"THAT WAS THE BEST MISSION EVER!!" Satoshi screamed. Koji smiled, and Hanabi chuckled. "Brilliant commentary from the Dead Last." She said. "Be nice, Hanabi-chan." Koji said, and Satoshi smirked.

"Yeah. Wouldn't want Koji to find out about your new boyfriend." Satoshi said, and Hanabi blushed. Koji also noted that Kenta also turned a little pink, and he put the pieces together.

(I see something happened while I was gone.) Koji said, as he smirked. "Well, since we won, and I have no reason to rush, we'll take three days getting back to sight see." Koji said, and the Genin cheered.

**ShadowRonin: This ended nicely. Toshiro was defeated, and Koji proved himself. The Genin will have fun, and Koji will rest for a while.**

**Next Chapter: With Koji and the Genin taking a break, we turn our attention to Gale and Shinji, who will be playing large roles in the next arc, are now setting up and moving the future plot. Shinji takes a Trip to Cloud, while Gale has fun in Sand in:**

**Chapter 45: Side Stories! Gale's Birthday Present, and Shinji's Encounter!!**


	45. Sand and Cloud

**Yo!! Koji and the Genin take a break from the Ninja Life, and the spotlight turns to Gale and Shinji, who will play crucial roles in the future. For now, read and review.**

Chapter 45: Side Stories! Gale's Birthday Present, and Shinji's Encounter!!

The Village Hidden in the Sand, like every major village, has a Royal Family that's been around since the founding of the village. For Sand, it was the Kazekiri Family. Today, we chill with the heir of the family, and the prodigy of the clan. Today, we hang out with Gale Kazekiri.

"Hey father! What's for lunch today?" Gale screamed, as his father walked into the living room. Gale's father, Hurricane, had piercing blue eyes like Gale, but instead of black hair, he had short brown hair. Both were in some casual clothes, and Gale was sitting in the living room.

"Well, today, since your mother is on a mission, we fend for ourselves." He said, smiling, and Gale sighed. "Great…" He muttered. Then, they heard a knock on the door. "You get it." They both said at the same time, and half glared at each other. Then they brought their fists out.

"Jan Ken Po!!" They both said, and Gale won. Hurricane muttered a curse, before he went to open the door. There stood an ANBU member, and a girl with a black shirt on, and the only thing covering herself was a dark blue bandana.

"Hi! I am Ryoko! I am Gale Kazekiri's Birthday Present!" She said, and Hurricane looked a little disturbed, as he turned to the living room. "Gale. You have a…birthday present…" Hurricane said real slowly.

"What are you talking about? My birthday was a few weeks ago." Gale said, as he walked to the door. He saw what was at the door, and his eyes slowly began to widen, until they became dots.

"Father. Why is there a girl with no bra on in our door?" Gale asked. "She is apparently a birthday present from Koji-san." Hurricane said, his eyes dotted as well. Gale let that sentence process, before he ran his head into his hands, and sighed annoyingly.

Figures Koji would leave him a girl as a present.

Actually, taking in her features, curves, and rack, Koji left him a blue haired bombshell. (I can tell this is going to be a long day.) Gale thought, as she smiled at him.

_(Cloud Village)_

Shinji stood outside the Village Hidden in the Clouds, and smirked. "Finally made it." He said. He hopped the gate, and entered without anyone knowing. He then swiped a Cloud Headband from a Genin and wore it around his forehead. "Like taking candy from a baby." Shinji said, and he fixed his glasses. He then closed his eyes.

"Hn. Koji is supposed to be here, since that man he trains with is one of the Legendary Sannin of Cloud." He muttered, before someone ran into him. He fell to his back, and his glasses fell off. He was about to get up, but he felt another weight on him. He looked up, and his dark blue eyes met with light blue eyes. The wind picked up, and her golden blond hair danced with the wind. Shinji felt speechless.

(This girl. She is incredibly pretty.) Shinji commented in his mind, as he realized the position they were in, before he got to his feet, and helped her to hers. He picked his glasses up, and put them back on. "And you are?" Shinji asked, and the girl averted her gaze. Before she could answer, three Cloud Jounin appeared.

"What do you think you're doing with our prize!?" One of them screamed. Shinji's eyes narrowed. (This kind of scum annoys me.) Shinji thought, as he smirked at them. "She's your prize? I don't see any kind of writing saying she's yours." He said. The one that screamed began to growl, and the girl moved behind Shinji.

_(Sand Village)_

"I can't believe that this is happening." Gale muttered, as Ryoko followed behind him.

Flashback:

"What do you mean we have to keep her?" Gale asked in a calm voice, as his father began to smirk. "She's your 'birthday present,' so she's your responsibility." Hurricane said, and Gale glared at him. "Girls can't be given as birthday presents!" Gale said, and Hurricane smirked even broader.

"Actually, the laws governing Suna says you can. As long as the girl is willing. You are willing, right?" Hurricane asked Ryoko, and she nodded. "Then it's settled!!" Hurricane said, and Gale glared even fiercer. "You can't be serious?" Gale asked menacingly.

"Are you taking a threatening tone with me?" Hurricane asked, and Gale could hear the implied threat. Hurricane Kazekiri is known as one of the most powerful Jounin of the Village Hidden in the Sand, and is one of the Suna Sannin. But he couldn't lie. Gale would become even stronger.

(Man. When he uses that tone, I know I can't win…) Gale thought, and sighed miserably. "Good. Now, you need to find your new girlfriend some clothes." Gale tripped on his way to his room, and fell down the stairs leading to the basement. He then came back up, his eyes white.

"What the hell was that!? She isn't my girlfriend!!" Gale screamed. "Then she is your mistress?" Hurricane asked. "NO!!" Gale screamed, and Hurricane smirked. "Then what do you say she is? Because that's what the village will think." Hurricane said, and Gale let the words sink in. He then looked like he was weighing his options, before he brought up one last question.

"Is she going to be living here?" He asked, and Hurricane could see an acceptance from his son. (Maybe a girl would balance out that stick that's in his ass.) Hurricane thought. (But saying he had a stick isn't really fair. He's just horribly reserved to himself.)

End.

Gale sighed. Father was just as intimidating even when he was still a Genin. He didn't know what kind of clothes he needed to get her, so he decided to go to the Kazekage Tower to see if Temari was in town.

What he couldn't stop was the weird looks the civilians were giving him, and the glares his fangirls sent to Ryoko, who looked oblivious to them. He realized he should have just roof hopped to Gaara-sama, but he didn't, so he would take the punishment.

"Who is that girl? She his girlfriend?" "How did such a weird looking girl snag Gale-kun!?" "Man, look at the curves and rack that she has!! I bet he's a lucky bastard! He gets to pound that when he wants to!!" After the last comment, Gale uncharacteristically stumbled, and played it off by using his hand to launch into the air, and land on his feet.

He scoffed and continued walking, as his fangirls began to salivate from his little show and the boys scowled at him. (Don't see why they are scowling. I should have kicked the ass of the one who said that.) He continued his walk, and Ryoko followed close by.

_(Cloud Village)_

Shinji could see the terror in the girl's eyes, but didn't comment on it. "What did you do to the girl?" Shinji asked. "What we do to her isn't your deal!!" The loudmouth said, and Shinji scoffed. "The loudest Ninja in a group is usually the weakest." Shinji said, and he could see the glare he sent.

What he didn't see was the blinding speed and the fist that ran into his gut. He flew back, and hit a tree, leaving a dent. His glasses fell off, and he fell on them, breaking them.

"Glasses-kun!!" The girl screamed, and Shinji almost felt the need to chuckle. This wasn't his fight. He had no reason to help this girl. (But something about this doesn't seem right.) Shinji slowly got to his knees, and noticed that his glasses were broken. He sighed, as his brown hair covering his eyes.

"I really liked those glasses." Shinji said, as he put one foot up. "You will pay for them, along with the cheap shot." He said, as his right eye began to bleed red. The other two Cloud Jounin's eyes widened, before the leader flashed in front of Shinji, and covered his eyes with a piece of cloth.

"Hn. An Uchiha in our village?" He said. "Sorry, but I'm no Uchiha." Shinji said, as the Jounin popped Shinji in the head, preventing any chakra from going to his eyes. "Of course. Your eyes didn't hold the commas that the Uchiha Clan holds." He said.

"Now, the girl isn't any of your business." Shinji nodded, knowing he was right. "What are you three doing to her?" Shinji asked, not expecting an answer. "There will be a 3-Man-Cell Tournament in one month. If you wish to save the girl from her fate, then you will do so in a month." He said, and his two partners disappeared.

"Sorry about your fate, but that's just how it is." He said, and she nodded sadly. She grabbed his arm, and they both disappeared. Shinji stood to his feet, and sighed. "One month, eh? 3-Man-Cell. Already know who to find." He said to himself, as he disappeared, heading to the Raikage Tower.

_(Sand Village)_

Gaara looked, though only Gale could tell, completely amused by the situation. Gale looked quite annoyed, and Ryoko was smiling, as her arms were wrapped around Gale's right arm.

"My little Jounin has grown up and is living his own life." Gaara said, and Gale bravely glared at him. "Your sense of humor is well appreciated, but I rather you didn't. Can you just tell me where Temari is?" Gale asked.

"Can you tell me why your girlfriend has an eyepatch? Was it a rough first night?" Gaara asked, smirking. Gale turned red, both from embarrasement and annoyance, and scowled. "We did no such thing." He said calmly and darkly.

"Temari is out of town on a mission. Looks like you have to help her on your own." Gaara said, and almost chuckled when Gale grimaced. "Don't say that. Send someone who is a girl with her." Gale said. "Sorry, all Kunoichi are busy. I could send Kankuro?" Gaara asked, knowing the answer.

"And have him cum all on himself seeing her? Thanks but no thanks…" Gale said, and walked out. He didn't see the smirk Gaara had. He didn't call Gaara's bluff. There were plenty of Kunoichi around, he just wanted to see how far Gale would go before he snapped. Call him a sadist, but he couldn't help seeing the youngest Jounin in Suna squirming a little.

_(Cloud Village)_

"So, you know Shiro Masamune?" The Raikage, Ryo, said. Shinji half nodded, and shrugged. "I need to know where his apprentice is." Shinji said. "Hm. Shiro mentioned that he would be near Konoha for a while." Ryo said, and Shinji nodded. Shinji left, and began to walk around the Cloud Village, before he spotted a store with a black wide rimmed hat.

He looked to the hat, and smirked. Seconds later, he walked out, a small triangle cut out so you could see his right eye from the right angle. He pulled the hat down so it covered his eyes, and began the trek to Konoha. (With this hat, I look like Akabane from Getbackers.) Shinji thought to himself, amused.

_(Sand Village)_

Gale sat outside the clothing store, looking quite perturbed. He was relieved when he got some of the store workers to help her, but the knowing looks of perversion from the male populace caused him to scowl at them. "Sick bastards…" Gale muttered to himself, as he looked up.

Ryoko had walked out, in a brown kimono that looked like it suited her, and showed all her curves. Gale could imagine the looks of lust most men sent her. In fact, from the glare of the store window, he could see some of the lustful looks. And to make things worse, she sat on his lap, smiling.

"Do I look good, Kaze-kun?" She asked, and Gale couldn't hide the blush that crept up. He felt some powerful killing intent, and saw the men all looking at him with demonic red eyes. "Yes. Now can we go home?" Gale asked. "Yes. But can I ask you to carry me? I walked all the way here from near Konoha, and my feet hurt." She said, and Gale looked quite distressd.

He sighed, and picked her up, bridal style, as she blushed, and buried her face into his chest. "Hold on." He said, and used his Wind Chakra to take to the skies. After a few seconds, they arrived, and Ryoko held to his shirt. "We are here." He said, and she nodded, as he let her down.

"You fly really fast. No one in my village is able to do that." She said, looking down. "It's nothing." Gale said, opening the door. What he saw was Hurricane smirking. "The little miss is blushing. What did you two do?" He asked, and Gale glared.

"Nothing!! I went to get her clothes just like you said I should!!" He said, glaring. "Kaze-kun flew us back. It was quite an experience." Ryoko said, and Hurricane nodded. "I see. Well, I'll show you to your room Ryoko-chan. Gale, you're free to do whatever. Just don't start a family too early." He said, smirking, and walked away as Ryoko followed him. "Keep joking old man!! I'll get you back!!" Gale screamed in vain. He then sighed, and plopped on the couch. (Next time I see Koji, I'm going to kick his ass.)

_(Leaf Village)_

Outside of Konoha, stood a 4-man Squad, and the leader was smirking. "We finally arrive." Koji said, smirking. "Yes!! I can't wait to see Tenten-nee-chan after my kick ass ninja mission!!" Satoshi said, jumping up and down. Koji chuckled, and brought his hand behind his head.

"I guess I need to find Yami and thank Kiba." Koji said, and Kenta shrugged. "Back to the house for me." Kenta said, and Hanabi looked to him. "You live a few houses past my house, correct? Can you walk me home?" Hanabi asked, blushing. Kenta turned a little red, and nodded. "Sure, Hanabi." He said, and they walked off. "Ah. Young love." Koji muttered, as him and Satohsi chuckled.

**ShadowRonin: And so the next arc is beginning to take shape, but before that, Koji has one more challenge. As for what it is, that is for me to know and you to read.**

**Next Chapter: Koji and the Genin return to the Leaf Village, but Koji is sent on a new mission with some friends. What is this mission? Find out on:**

**Chapter: 46: A New Mission!! Journey to a New Battle!!**


	46. The New Mission

**Yo!! Sorry about the long wait. Sound and the Fury is the toughest book to read, and that with all the homework I have been getting hasn't helped with my free time much. Things seem to be slowing a little thoguh, so hopefully I can update every two weeks. Hopefully. Read and Review.**

Chapter: 46: A New Mission!! Journey to a New Battle!!

"So, you three know the weight of this mission, right?"Tsunade asked. In front of her stood Shino, Kiba, and Shikamaru, all looking with intent. They all nodded, before Shikamaru asked if anyone else would be on this mission. Tsunade smirked, and nodded. "He'll be thrilled to be on this mission.

Koji walked into the Hokage Tower, and smirked. "Hey old bat!! I completed the mission!!" Koji screamed, and waited for her to explode on him. When nothing happened, he saw Shizune walking towards him, smiling. "Shizune-nee-chan!! You work here!?" Koji asked. "Of course. I'm Tsunade's apprentice after all." She said, and Koji nodded. "So where is she?" Koji asked. "She's on the third floor." Koji nodded, and took off.

When Koji opened the door, he was surprised to see Shino, Shikamaru, and Kiba there, looking like they had a mission. "Hey guys." Koji said, and they nodded in his direction. "I assume you completed your mission?" Tsunade asked, and Koji nodded.

"Good. I have another mission for you." Before Koji could question her, she tossed him a headband. He caught it, and was surprised to see the two swords which was the emblem for the Shadow Blades. He looked up, and Tsunade gave him a headband of the Leaf Village.

"The Shadow Blade Headband you can keep with you somewhere. For now, I need your help on a mission for Konoha." Tsunade said, and Koji nodded. "The Kunoichi have sent me a message claiming that Akatsuki or Association 15 may be where they are." Tsunade said, and Koji nodded. He had forgotten about Association 15, and was ready to finish his battle with them. He tied his Konoha Headband around his neck, and smirked. "You can count on us, baa-chan." Koji said, and was whacked for disrespecting the Hokage.

At the Village Gates, Koji was sitting, as Shino leaned on the wall, Kiba was sitting on Akamaru, and Shikamaru had his eyes closed. "This is almost like when we had that mission to retrieve Sasuke." Kiba said, and Shikamaru sighed.

"But this time, we won't fail." Shikamaru said. "So, who's the one calling the shots?" Koji asked, and Shikamaru groaned. "That would be me. Tsunade went and made me a Jounin for this mission…" Shikamaru grumbled, and Shino turned to look at him.

"I thought it was because you single handedly defeated a member of Akatsuki. Hidan was his name." Shino said. "No matter! Lead the way, Shikamaru-taichou!!" Koji said, and the four Konoha Nin flashed away.

It had been close to about a day and a half of travel, and Team Shikamaru had finally arrived in The Western Town of Kajimaru. "ALRIGHT!! We finally made it!!" Koji screamed, and the two stoic members sighed in irritation.

"I hear you dude." Kiba said. The four nin were standing on the gates, and they were quite content. "Where to?" Shino asked. "We need to find Kajimari Ninja High." Shikamaru said, and Koji scowled. "School!? Oh man!!" Koji said.

"At least we can find Hinata and the rest." Kiba said, and they all nodded. "Speaking of Sakura." Shino said, and their attention came to a scene which would cause Koji to feel like he turned to stone. Sakura was sitting on a bench, with a boy, and it looked like there was some heavy flirting going on.

The boys retained their silence, but could feel the rage that Koji was emitting. (No big deal. She isn't mine anyway. I shouldn't care.) That was what he was thinking, before they witnessed said boy kiss her, and she kissed back. Shikamaru and the rest turned to Koji, who's eyes had gone gold, a demonic smirk on his face, and electricity was blasting off him.

They could feel the intent on inflicting harm, and before he could move, Shino placed his hand on Koji's chest. Koji sent him a demonic glare, but Shino wasn't affected. "You won't attack her. If you try, you'll get no where." Shino said, and Koji took note of his surroundings. Shino's bugs were surrounding his hand, while Kiba and Akamaru each had an arm, and Shikamaru was in the seal for Shadow Possession. Koji let his rage die, and calmed himself.

"Who said I would attack her?" Koji muttered, and Shino smirked behind his hood. "You misunderstand me. You might have accidentally hurt her." Shino said. "I guess…" Koji closed his eyes, and shrugged. "Forget it. Let's find our mission. I just got here, and I already want to leave." Koji said, as the team of four went to Kajimaru High.

"Ah. You must be the second squad that Tsunade sent for us." The dean of the school said, and Shikamaru nodded. "That's us!!" Kiba said. "So, who do we need to watch out for at the School?" Koji asked.

"Don't worry. Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious." He said, and handed them each a headband, which caused the four's eyes to go O.O. "This village has two separated schools for Shinobi and Kunoichi, right?" Shikamaru asked. "Yeah." The dean replied.

"We are not infiltrating Kajimaru Kunoichi High!!" Kiba said, glaring at nothing in particular. "We have no choice." Shino said, and they sighed. "You will play as exchange students form the Kajimaru Shinobi High. The fiend I believe is in the Kunoichi school." The dean said, and Koji sighed. "I see." Shikamaru said. "Guess the mission starts now." Kiba said. "Joy…" Koji muttered. He REALLY wanted to go home and say "Screw This" to the mission.

Koji wandered the village, lost in thought. (So, I see Sakura has gotten herself a boyfriend. Good for her…) Koji wanted to be cheerful about this, but he couldn't help but feel as though he got stabbed in the heart. He then closed his eyes, and smiled.

"Heh. That makes things easier for me. Makes the bonds tying me to this world easier to shatter." Koji said, but he could feel his heart tightening painfully. "Breaking bonds are hardest when one is unwilling to break them." Koji sighed, and wasn't surprised when Shino appeared.

"Is it always the quietest one who gives me this weird advice?" Koji muttered. "No. Only the silent observers." Shino said. Both remained quiet, before Koji smiled a real smile. "Don't worry about me. The only thing that I need to worry about is the mission." Koji said, and Shino nodded.

"Well, you ready Shino?" Shino nodded and Koji smirked. "Come morning we take this place by storm!!" Shino nodded, and disappeared. Koji was about to take a few steps, before he felt eyes on him. "If you have an issue with me, then come say it to my face." Koji's eyes narrowed when in front of him appeared the boy who was being cozy with Sakura.

(Oh you have no idea how much I want to pound your ass into dust.) Koji thought to himself. "So, how may I help you?" Koji asked. "I felt the intent to harm coming from you. You know Sakura-chan?" He asked. The wind picked up, and Koji's black dreadlocks danced along with the other's green shoulder length hair.

"She just reminded me of someone, is all." Koji said, while he clenched his fist. "Hn. If you try anything with her, I'll be forced to intervene. She is going to become my girlfriend, and you can't do anything to stop it." He said. Koji closed his eyes, before he smirked big.

"Thanks for the warning. Now, I may be inclined to actually try for her attention. I hate being told what I can and can't do." Koji said, smirking. The boy glared, and scoffed. Koji's brown eyes held the other boy's orange eyes.

"Cross me and you'll regret it."

"Annoy me, and I'll cross you just for the hell of it!"

Koji smirked, and walked past him. The moment they passed each other, they felt a seious shock. (This boy. He holds some powerful chakra.) The boy thought to himself. (This kind of power reminds me of Gale.) Koji mused to himself. He could smell ash on this boy. (Fire?) Koji mused to himself.

Kajimaru Kunoichi Ninja School. The grounds for the biggest controversy born for Kajmaru Town. And it was all because Koji had arrived. Koji was about to bring some kind of fun to Kajimaru, and boy was life going to become incredibly lively.

**ShadowRonin: The challenge has been set, and a fight that Koji would rather not pick is going to be the small ball that gets the wheel running.**

**Next Chapter:**** Koji's new squad, consisting of Kiba, Shino, and Shikamaru, are in the Kajimaru Town Kunoichi School, but it doesn't end there. Koji's new foe gets in Koji's face, and a fight ensues. Find out on:**

**Chapter 47: Meetings!! Koji's New Rivals!!**


	47. Koji's Rival

**Yo!! I think my FYI has begun to let up on the mentally debilitating books from hell. The next book I have to read is Machiavelli's The Prince, and it's less than 100 pages. (85 to be exact) But I digress. Read and Enjoy.**

Chapter 47: Meetings!! Koji's New Rivals!!

"Good morning students of Kajimaru Kunoichi High!!" The dean said, and all the girls cheered. "Now, we have four new students here who will be joining us from the Kajimaru Shinobi High." He said, and there was mumurs from the girls in the stands.

"He must mean the squad Tsunade sent." Ino said, and Hinata nodded. "Bet she sent Neji! He's the only one who is a Jounin." Sakura said, and Hinata shrugged. "Now, will the four nin please come out." He said, and the four boys walked out.

Koji and the boys walked out, and they could feel the girls looking at them with some serious intent. "From left to right, we have Koji Hyosuke, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Shikamaru Nara." Dean said, and the boys felt like they were being stared at quite intently.

Then, at least 80 percent of the girls had hearts in their eyes as they stared at Shino, and the boys all sweat dropped. "What the hell is with women and falling for mysterious bad-ass looking guys?" Kiba muttered so only the boys could hear.

"I don't know. Women are stupid…" Koji muttered. "And troublesome." Shikamaru said. "Hn. I bet this is the most attention you've ever gotten, eh Shino?" Koji asked, smirking. Shino gave him a look that said if he had less dignity, he would flip him the bird.

"No need to glare, Shino." Koji said. "What makes you think I'm glaring?" Shino asked. "Because I say you are." Koji replied, and Shino visibly scowled at him. "Wow. You got Shino of all people to show some sort of emotion." Kiba said, and Koji smirked. "Just doing my job."

The girls were surprised to see who Tsunade sent in response. Shikamaru, Kiba, and Shino were no surprise. They were pretty good, and they would need their abilities of tracking. The fourth one, caused Sakura's eyes to widen, and look with nothing but fear.

"He's…here?" Sakura asked slowly, and the other kunoichi knew who she was talking about. (What's Koji-kun doing here?) Hinata asked herself, and Ino and Tenten looked on. (That boy being here means either something big is happening, or Tsunade enjoys screwing with us.) Ino thought to herself.

Koji looked like he was having a chat with Shino, and glanced towards Sakura. He blinked, and turned to Kiba, acting as though Sakura wasn't there. Sakura felt like she had gotten back handed, and the other Kunoichi scowled at Koji's total ignorance of her. There would be hell to pay!!

_(Outside)_

Koji walked around town, as the other boys followed him. "400 yen says Shino gets raped before we head home." Koji said, and could feel the glare Shino sent him.

"I bet 600 it happens before a week." Kiba said. Shino scowled at him, and Shikamaru chuckled. "If I had to guess, Shino would be raped in two weeks. I'll put up 500 yen on that." Shino felt like they were messing with him, and he knew they knew they were messing with him. He sighed in sheer irritation, before they felt the girl's chakra.

"Hinata!!" Kiba ran right by Koji, as Hinata and her friends appeared. He ran and got her in a bone crushing hug. Koji stopped walking. He could sense someone's chakra, and after thinking, verified it as that boy's chakra. He closed his eyes as Shikamaru and Shino walked past him.

"I don't think she can breathe, Kiba." Shino said, and Kiba released her. "Hey Ino." Shikamaru said, and Ino popped him in the shoulder. "Why are you here? I thought they would send a Jounin leader." Ino said. "That's it. I AM a Jounin." Shikamaru said.

"Wow!! You're like Neji!!" Tenten said. (I am a Jounin as well, but no. Let's not bother to try and say I ain't…) Koji thought, annoyed. "Hey Koji, you going to say anything?" Kiba asked. Koji regarded the kunoichi, before he closed his eyes.

"I don't know them. Sorry." Koji said, and that relayed different responses from everyone. Tenten and Ino scowled fiercely at him. Kiba also glared at him. Shikamaru looked at him confused. Shino said nothing, and Hinata silently could tell he was lying for some reason.

"Hey, Sakura-chan." They all turned to see the boy with forest green hair and orange eyes walking towards them, as he walked next to Sakura. Shino could see Koji tense up, and Hinata saw the cold fury in his eyes, which he did a great job of hiding.

"Hello Kenji-san." Ino said, and Koji took notice of Sakura's severely depressed look. "You guys know these nin?" The boy, Kenji, asked. "They know the others. I have never met these girls in my life." Koji said. "I see. That makes sense. I can feel the power your friends exhudes." Kenji said.

"Why does that make sense?" Koji asked. "It would be weird for nin of this magnitude to associate themselves with someone as odd as you." He said. Hinata's eyes could see Koji's fists open and close in anger, and Shino could see that Koji wanted to take a threatening stance.

"Don't take that from him Koji!! You know you know the girls!! In fact, you and Sakura-" Koji closed his eyes in anger, and Kenji glared. "You know her then?" Kenji asked. "I said I didn't! She looked familiar, but she isn't the one I remember." Koji said coldly.

"In fact, who I do and don't know is none of your business." Koji turned to walk away, before a fight started. "It would be wise for you to leave the girls alone. Your aura is different than that of the others, like a outsider." Kenji said.

"You're right. I am an outsider. I am a traveler from outside the village, and I decided to take residence there." Koji said, and Kenji smirked. "What's wrong? You're family abandon you?" Kenji asked, and before he could say anything, a beam of lightning flashed right by his head, and Kenji's eyes were wide. "I may be a wanderer, but I have feelings like any other human. My family is a touchy subject because I don't remember who they are. If you try to provoke a fight using family, if I had one, I _WILL_ kill you." Koji said in the coldest darkest tone they had ever heard, and Kiba glared at him.

"What's your deal!? You almost hit Sakura, you ass!!" Kiba screamed, and what happened next scared the hell out of everyone. Koji turned, and they saw that his eyes were golden, and emotionless.

"I told you I have no idea what our fight is about, but if you play the family card, I will kill you." Koji said, directing it at Kenji, who tightened his hold on Sakura. "Ha! I see! You are scared that I may take your girl from you." Koji said. "Get over yourself. I don't like girls like her, and if I did, I have a moral code against stealing other people's girls." Koji said, lying through his teeth.

Ino and Tenten scowled at him at his words, and Sakura looked like she was a few steps short of crying. She could hear his voice taunting her repeadetly saying "I don't like girls like her." "You have gone one step too far, ass-hole." Kiba said, stepping towards Koji, but he was held back by Shino, who was looking to Koji warily.

"If you are done, we suggest you leave." Shino said, and Koji could hear the veiled threat. "That was the initial plan." Koji said, walking away. "Che. What's his deal? I bet his sad upbringing caused his family to dump him off." Kenji said, and the air turned incredibly cold. Koji had stopped walking again, and this time turned around. The killing intent he was releasing was suffocating, and Koji was chuckling.

"I told you not to show out in front of your girl." Koji said, and he hunched over, laughing. "And now, I get to kill you." After that, Koji launched at him, Piercing Lightning Claw on his hand. He would have hit him, and probably would have killed him, if it wasn't for Shikamaru catching him with his Shadow Possession Jutsu.

"You know, you are way to troublesome." Shikamaru said. Koji didn't reply, merely kept his dark glare on Kenji. "You are letting him get to you. We don't need any senseless deaths all because you lost your temper." Shikamaru said, and Koji's eyes held Shika's in a dangerous glint. He then growled, as his eyes changed back to normal.

"Your quite smart Koji. You could have easily broken my possession. Why didn't you?" Shikamaru asked, as the shadow returned to him. Shikamaru knew the answer, but wanted to hear it from the source. "You know the answer, smart-ass. But still, thanks." Koji said, before he walked away. Ino and the other girls turned in the opposite direction, and Kiba left to walk Akamaru. All that was left was Hinata, Shino, and Shikamaru.

"He is quite infuriating." Shino said. "Kenji-san and Koji-kun had some kind of falling out if it forced him to react like that." Hinata said, and Shikamaru looked at her, confused. "Koji's attitude changed when Kenji appeared. I noticed it as well." Shino said.

"Then that proves my theory." Shikamaru said. "You mean why he didn't break you move?" Hinata asked. "Clouded in rage, he didn't acknowledge how Sakura would react. If he had continued, she may have taken Kenji's attack." Shikamaru said. "I see." Shino said, and they let the severity of the situation sink in.

Hinata then honed a determined look, before she began to follow Koji. "You going to talk to him?" Shino asked. "He needs some advice." Hinata left it at that, and ran after the wanderer. Shino smirked behind his collar, and Shikamaru sighed. "First day here, and already this has become troublesome." He said, and Shino nodded. "Yes. But with him, I doubt it will be boring." Shino said, and Shikamaru chuckled.

_(Field)_

Koji was sitting in a clearing, listening to nature be nature. (Man. This is crazy. The moment I get here, someone is intent on making me try to kill him.) Koji mused, before he closed his eyes.

(Well. At least Sakura will be happy with these guys. This mission actually can be used as an excuse to make a quick get-away, and make it look like I died.) Koji thought to himself, sighing. These kinds of plans made him feel like a sneak, but he felt it couldn't be helped. He was about to stand, but he felt someone embrace him from behind, and he closed his eyes and smiled.

"You were always way too caring for others, Hinata." Koji said, and he could hear Hinata chuckling at him. "You are such a charity case. You always cause trouble." Hinata said. "But if I didn't, who would?" Koji joked, and Hinata chuckled, as she sat next to him, and rested her head on his shoulder. To others this may seem somewhat intimate, but both knew this was brotherly/sisterly affection.

"So, anyone I need to worry about in the school?" Koji asked, and Hinata shrugged. "The school is full of interesting people, but I'd say it's mostly normal Kunoichi." Hinata said. "Somehow, I don't think my luck will allow

something like that." Koji muttered, as Hinata giggled.

"So, which guys are we looking out for?" Koji asked. "Don't know. All I know is we've been sensing some rather powerful chakra recently, and it isn't pretty." Hinata said. "No need to fret anymore. Since I'm here, the bad guys stand no kind of chance." Koji said, and Hinata smiled, as Koji closed his eyes. They continued to enjoy the peace of nature.

Monday. The dreaded day. Koji sighed in a desparate way to avoid this situation. Sadly, he went nowhere since Shikamaru Shadow Possessed him to the school, making Koji cry in indignation.

"Shikamaru!! You are a bastard!!" Koji screamed, and Shikamaru smirked. "I wasn't born out of wedlock." Shikamaru said, and Koji scowled. "Fuck you!!" Koji screamed. "Sorry. I don't roll that way. Maybe if you were Temari." Shikamaru said, and Koji scowled even more. And so this banter went on until they ran into Shino.

"Hey Shino." Shikamaru said. "Tell the ass-hole to let me go!!" Koji screamed. "Seems like you had the same problem as I did." Shino said, as he moved out of the way to show Kiba being wrapped up in Chakra Jamming Wire. "Let me go, Shino!!" Kiba screamed in anger, and Shino chuckled in his way.

"Great minds think alike." Shikamaru said. "The moment I get out of this Shadow Possession, I'm kicking your ASS!!" Koji screamed. "When that time comes, your chakra will be so miniscule, you wouldn't be able to hit me even if I was half asleep." Shikamaru said. The scowl never left Koji's face.

_(In the school)_

"Welcome to the first period." The teacher said. Koji and Kiba were in this class, and were curious as to why they had to be dragged by Shino and Shikamaru. "Heh heh. Period. Heh heh. Women's Menstruation!" Koji muttered to Kiba, who also began to snicker.

"Today we will be studying Kunoichi Tactics 101." She said, and Kiba and Koji had question marks over their heads. "What's that mean, Sensei?" Kiba asked. "You will learn how to get information from your enemies by seducing them." At the end of the explanation, both of Kiba and Koji's eyes were white, and had the similar 'OH HELL NO!!' expression.

Screams of terror could be heard all around the school, and now I take a poll of the responses. Hinata looked confused, and then blushed a little thinking Naruto was nearby. Sakura also thought Naruto was nearby, but wanted to punch him instead. Tenten and Ino didn't think too much on it, seeing as they didn't have much of an opinion of Naruto. Shino and Shikamaru, should be noted, was laughing darkly, and were causing people to look uncomfortable.

_(After First Period)_

An aura of sheer killing intent was flowing from both Kiba and Koji, and they had just the targets to unleash it on. Shikamaru saw them coming, and smirked. "You have a-" Maybe taunting them wasn't a good idea. Especially since Koji shot a Lightning Gun at his head, which he ducked under.

"You are dead." Koji said darkly, and Shikamau kept his title of Coward alive and got the hell out of there. Koji glanced to Kiba, who nodded, and he took off. Shikamaru could feel Koji making a beeline for him, and panicked. He would have fought back, but showing your moves in hostile territory isn't the best of ideas. At least Koji was minding that rule. He was only launching Lightning Guns at him, which he could dodge.

He turned the corner sharply, and Koji blasted a corner of the wall off. "Man, what a drag." Was muttered as he slid under another Lightning Gun. He turned another corner, and Koji was about to follow, but he ran into a girl with short midnight black hair, and blue eyes. Koji flew over her, and both nin were on the ground. Koji hopped to his feet, and panicked. "Oh man!! Sorry sorry sorry sorry-" As Koji approached the girl, she looked like she seen a ghost, and backed away from Koji.

"Huh? Did I-" He didn't get to finish, because she jetted in the opposite direction. Koji looked on confused, and shrugged. (Strange girl. Something I say to her?) He didn't have time to muse on it, because the next period began, and he was late.

Kiba, Shino, and Shikamaru had Second Period with each other, and silently hoped that Koji would be okay without their supervision. "Don't worry about Koji. Hinata has the same class he has." Tenten said, and Shino shrugged. "It wasn't him I was worried about. I'm worried about those around him." Shino said. "How so?" Kiba asked. "If Koji's attitude is what I think it is, he won't back off from anything, even a teacher that chose to get on his bad side." Shikamaru said.

"I see the good boy has arrived late. Care to explain your reason for being late?" Koji just knew somewhere in his mind that this was going to be the toughest 50 minutes of his life. "Sorry Sensei. I lost track of time." He said, and she sneered at him. "I see. Just because you were honest doesn't mean you will get off easily." She said, and Koji used all self-restraint to not scowl at her. He smiled with his eyes closed in a fake smile, as he took a seat.

"Don't be so quick to judge her, Koji-kun." Hinata was in the seat next to him. "She had a nasty breakup with her boyfriend a couple of days ago. He was caught cheating on her. Sort of skewed her view on men." Hinata said, and Koji shrugged.

"I understand, but she doesn't need to take it out on me." Koji mumbled. "You must be quite the ballsy student, Hyosuke-san. Talking when the teacher talks." Koji closed his eyes, resisting the urge to backtalk. He then sighed. "Sorry Sensei. It won't happen again." Koji said, and his teacher looked at him like he was lying, but left it alone.

"This is going to be the most painful mission of my life. Please let me find these bastards quickly. I want out!" Koji said, slamming his head into the desk. Hinata smiled, as she patted his shoulder.

_(Later)_

Koji walked out of the school at the end of the day, feeling quite unamused. Besides the first two classes, he didn't have anything else with his friends, and he fell asleep in most of them, using his dreadlocks to cover his face, and leaning on one hand to make it look like he was paying attention, while his hair covered his face to hide him sleeping.

He had seen Sakura a couple of times, but vouched for avoiding her like the plague. What was the point anyway? He didn't feel like getting into a fight with someone like Kenji anyway. Besides, once he was gone, she would forget him anyway. (That's what I would want for her to do. Not to always worry about me.) Koji was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't see the girl that had almost walked into him.

He bumped into her lightly, and caught her before she fell to her butt. His brown eyes met dark blue eyes, and he smiled. "Fancy meeting you again." He said jokingly, but she yanked her hand from his, and blasted him across the school grounds, causing him to run into a building. Koji stayed on the ground, sitting on his head, and mumbling angrily to himself.

(What the hell was that for!? Damn that hurt!!) Koji got to his feet, and readjusted his backpack. "Man. This village is doing a great job on making sure I don't want to ever come here again." Koji said, sighing.

_(That Evening)_

"Yes, almost home!!" Koji said, smiling in relief. He was about to open the door, when the wind picked up. He turned, as a flash of a person ran right by him at Ninja speeds. He couldn't see the face, but he could see the cargo. The person had a girl it looked. And she had short midnight black hair-

(Wait. Midnight black- Ah son of a bitch. Don't tell me she was just abducted!?) Koji hung his head. "Now I play the hero and save her because my conscious won't let me sleep until I do…" And with that, he readjusted his backpack, and flashed away after the man with the girl who was deathly afraid of him.

**ShadowRonin: Koji has been getting quite a bit of shit from just about everyone since arriving, and it's beginning to take a toll on his calm façade. But he's not snapped yet.**

**Next Chapter:**** Koji meets Fuuka, the girl who seems to have some sort of phobia against men. His meeting her is co-incidental, and reveals some of the odd characters of this school. All this and more on:**

**Chapter 48: To Save a Stranger. The Girl with the Fear of Men.**


	48. The Guy Phobe

**Yo!! Halloween night was one of the most trippiest nights of my life. My school put on a play that went along with Rocky Horror Picture show, and the virgins (the ones who have never seen the show) had to play various games that were both hilarious and humiliating to them. (I'd feel pretty weird if I had to use my mouth to put a condom on a banana a girl is holding.) But I digress. Read and Enjoy.**

Chapter 48: To Save a Stranger. The Girl with the Fear of Men.

"How was the hunt, Ganeleon?" One of the bandits asked, when their leader appeared holding the girl. "Hn. Too easy. She's pretty clueless for a Kunoichi." Ganeleon said, and the others chuckled. "We only using her for ransom? Because she is quite the pretty one." One of them said, a sick smirk on his face.

"Che. Do that when I'm not around. That doesn't sit on my stomach too well." Ganeleon said. "I guess that's one thing we are going to agree on." They all turned, and there stood Koji, leaning on a tree. "And you are?" Ganeleon asked. "Not someone you should know. But I will say this much. Hand the girl over, and I won't have to hurt anyone." Koji said, standing up, and shifting his backpack.

"You think some punk kid could defeat someone like us?" One of the underlings asked. "No. But I'm not a punk kid." Koji said, smirking, which pissed one of them off, and caused that bandit to charge Koji. He tried to punch Koji, but he ducked under it, knocked his fist aside, and kicked him dead in the face, sending the bandit into a tree. "Sure you want to take me on?" Koji asked, as he slid into Tiger Fist. The bandits growled, and with a loud scream of 'Charge!!!' they bum rushed Koji.

_(5 Minutes Later)_

Koji yawned, and picked his backpack up off from next to the pile of unconscious bandits littered across the ground. "Ganeleon Bandits? More like Ganeleon Girl Scouts." Koji muttered amusingly, before he picked the girl up and sighed. "Somehoe this isn't going to end on a good note." Koji said, as he disappeared into the forest heading back to his house.

_(Back at Koji's house)_

The girl woke up laying on a couch that she knew wasn't hers. She preferred black and dark blue, not yellow and light blue. "I see you woke up." She turned her head rapidly, and saw the same boy she had run into twice today sitting on his couch, eating popcorn and watching Rush Hour 2.

"Look. I'm well aware you hate me for some reason or another, so once you are ready, you can leave." He said, eating his popcorn like he wasn't having this conersation. The girls remained silent.

"Did you…save me from the bandits?" She asked hesitantly. "Against my better judgement, yeah. Normally, I don't like to involve myself with other's problems, but you obviously could use the extra help." Koji said sarcastically, but without ill intent. He half expected her to leave right away, but was a little curious when she timidly sat next to him, and looked to his popcorn.

Taking the subtle hint, Koji gave her the bowl, and continued to watch TV. "So. What do you have against me?" Koji asked. She flinched, and looked away. Koji shook his head, sighing. "It's probably none of my business, but if I did something, I'm sorry." Koji said, as she looked at him confused.

"You didn't do anything against me…" She said quietly. "Then what is the deal?" Koji asked. It sounded commanding, but his tone was sheer curiosity needing to be quenched. The girl sighed, and looked away. "…I can't tell you. It's personal." She said, and Koji sighed.

"Then drop it. It's none of my business." Koji said. He then shook his head, and hit himself lightly. "I'm an ass. Here I am trying to get to know you, and I have no name to associate you with. My name is Koji Hyosuke." He said, loking to her. She remained quiet, and brought her gaze to him. "…Fuuka Hiwatari." She said, and Koji smirked.

"Now then, Fuuka-san. It's about 8:00. Time for you to head home." Koji said, and she nodded slowly. After she left, Koji chuckled to himself. "I always manage to make some of the weirdest friends." Koji then got off his couch, and got into some pajamas, and started on the homework he put off.

Next morning, Koji woke up, did the morning essentials, and dressed in the school clothes for Kajimaru Shinobi High. This was pretty much the generic Japanese School boy outfit. Only Koji had his unbuttoned, and his green tank top shirt was under it.

Sighing heavily, he slid his backpack on, and stepped outside. What he wasn't expecting was to see Fuuka there, waiting outside his house. "?" Koji didn't need to ask. His facial expression said it all.

"We didn't start off on the best of feet." She said, and Koji shrugged. "I guess. Whatever." Koji said non-chalantly, and they began to walk to school. He would have waited for the other Konoha boys, but he was pretty miffed at 2 of the three, and a violent early morning Kiba was something he didn't feel like dealing with.

_(The school)_

Koji knew that something was up when everyone was looking at him like he had done something like cure cancer or AIDS, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why.

"Hey Hinata!!" Koji said, and Hinata turned to him, as her eyes widened when she saw who he was walking with. Hinata flashed right next to him, and he looked at her confused.

"Why is Fuuka-san walking with you!?" Hinata asked. "She shouldn't be?" Koji asked, incredibly confused. "You don't know. She hasn't talked to a single boy since some thing that happened 10 years ago." Hinata said. "Well. It's her business. None of mine unless something makes it mine." Koji shrugged.

"Hey Koji!!!!" Koji turned just in time for Kiba to barrel into him. He didn't expect it, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Fuuka was hiding behind Hinata. He first thought of it as being shy, but shot that when he saw the fear in her eyes. Shino also noted this, along with the fact that Hinata was glaring at Kiba.

"What? I do something wrong?" Kiba asked, confused over the fact that Hinata was glaring at him. "Where's Genius?" Koji asked. "He's been checking the perimeter. Wants to know the place like the back of his hand." Shino said. "That's smart." Koji said.

"Hinata. Take your friend to her class. We are near our classes already." Shino said. Hinata nodded, and walked away. "You noticed it too, didn't you Shino?" Koji asked. "I always do." Shino said. "I didn't even give it a second thought." Kiba said. "Huh?" Koji asked.

"That girl has had it pretty rough." Shino said. "What do you mean?" Koji asked. "It isn't our story to tell." Shino said. "I can't ask her! It would be awkward, and rude." Koji said. "When she is ready, she'll tell you." Shino said, walking away. "Well, off to class…" Kiba muttered. Both sighed in pain, and entered their class.

_(Later)_

It wasn't as bad as it could have been. All they did was explain what a seduction mission was, which caused Kiba and Koji to become a little more wary of women who were curious about what they did.

After that, Koji had to run like hell, because the class with the supposed 'Man Hater' (That's what Koji called her) was next. He ran down the hall, with seconds left till the late bell rang. He turned the corner, and at the end was her class. Not trusting his luck, he ran like hell, and tried to slide into class on time. The late bell rang, and she slammed her door shut, catching Koji's ankle as well.

A definitive snap was heard, but Koji didn't scream in pain. He breathed in hard, and scowled. "Sorry Koji-san. But you _were_ late. I don't want to wait for you to get here on time." She said, and Koji almost cursed her out. "Sorry, Misato-Sensei." Koji said. "Now class. Please turn to page 15."

"Um, no offense Sensei, but I did have my foot broken. You think you could get someone to look at it?" Koji asked. "Not really. It will heal." Misato said. Koji scowled fiercely at her, before he limped over to his seat, and planted himself there. Both teacher and student knew that right there and then both were going to be locked in a battle of wills. One that Koji was not going to lose.

After class, Hinata instantly helped Koji to the Medic Ward. His foot was swelling pretty badly, but Koji refused to acknowledge the pain, though he could sure as hell feel it.

"Hinata. Why the hell does that teacher want me to freaking sock her in her face?" Koji asked smirking. "Don't be so rash." She scolded him. They came to the ward, and when she opened the door, pink hair that didn't know they arrived greeted them.

Hinata was about to call to Sakura, but Koji had gotten off of her, and began to attempt to walk away, which was nothing more than him limping away. "Koji? Why are you avoiding Sakura like this?" Hinata asked. "You know why. If you're friends with Shino, then he would have explained it too you." Koji said, knowing Shino would.

Hinata narrowed her eyes at him. "Just because you don't get along with Kenji-san and he has attempted to mark her as his doesn't mean that she won't help-" "I'm dead aware she will!!" Koji screamed, and Hinata looked at him, confused.

"She'll be happy if I distance myself from her. Because in the end, I will anyway." Koji said solemnly. "I see. So you are ducking out because you are a coward." Hinata said venomously, and Koji scowled at nothing in general.

"Maybe you are right. I am a coward. A pussy if you will. But I won't sleep at night knowing that I may make someone like Sakura cry, especially over someone like me." Koji said, and turned to regard Hinata. "Look. If it means that Sakura will be happy in the end, then lowering my ego wouldn't wound me in any way." Koji said, and turned to limp away.

Koji thought he was done with her, but he didn't expect her to strike him in the back of his neck, hitting a pressure point and knocking him out. "I see. You really believe that Sakura will forget you if you leave." Hinata mused, as she picked Koji up and held him over her shoulder.

"You are so much like Naruto it's amusing. Both of you are oblivious to those who love you dearly. Sakura's got her work cut out for her…" Hinata mused, walking back to the ward.

Sakura was finishing up with inventory when Hinata walked in, Koji with a X.X look on his face since he was knocked out. "What happened to him!?" Sakura asked, panic on her face. "Got into it with a teacher. Ankle is swollen, and I had to incapacitate him to get him to agree to get it fixed." Hinata half lied. Sakura didn't need to know that she was the reason Koji ducked out of getting his ankle checked. Sakura smiled, as she laid Koji out on the table.

"How did he break his ankle?" Sakura asked, as she began to heal it. "He was late for class, and Misato-Sensei slammed the door on his ankle when the late bell rang." Hinata said. "She did!? That's a little harsh." Sakura said. Hinata shrugged, as Sakura continued her work.

"I heard Fuuka-san started to hang out with Koji." Sakura said. "I don't get it either. Why would she hang out with someone who just came here?" Hinata asked. "It's because he just has that ability to befriend anyone." Sakura said. "Even someone whose life was like hers." At this point, Koji was conscious enough to hear them, but he kept his eyes closed.

"So you know of it as well?" Hinata asked. "Some girls told me. It sounded like gossip, but the fact that you ask interests me. Can you tell me what happened?" Sakura was curious, and Hinata felt that she could trust Sakura.

"Well, for the past few years, she has had an…abusive life…" Hinata said, and Sakura narrowed her eyes. "She's been abused? Her parents?" Sakura asked. "I wish it were that simple. Her real father died when she was young. Her step-father was a bastard. He raped her periodically…" Hinata said, and Sakura stopped what she was doing to look at Hinata with stunned eyes.

(What? Raped? Fuuka-san was…) Since Koji was still 'asleep,' they didn't know he heard Hinata. "Yeah. In fact, she had two miscarrages. One at 13, and one at 15." Hinata said. "No way…" Sakura thought. "At this point, her feelings on boys had been warped to the point where she thinks of them as all the same, and the first thing that comes to her mind is that they are going to rape her…"

Both turned to Koji when they felt a surge of chakra shoot out of him, and a flash of lightning zapped the lights, causing them to flicker. They looked, and thought that he was having a bad dream.

Koji knew it was none of his business, but his natural instinct to protect his friends caused him to want to beat the hell out of the bastard if he was still alive.

"_Then why not do it?" _Koji's then felt like he was whooshed into his mind, as he was in what looked like a portal leading to some maps. "Huh? The layout. It's almost like those on Nippon Ichi Software America Games." Koji mused, looking around.

"So we finally meet face to face." Koji turned, but all he saw was a giant gold bird that was obscured due to the raw power it was eminating. "OH SHIT!!!! A GIANT ELECTRIC PHOENIX!!!!" Koji screamed, as he fell to his butt. "The fact that our powers hasn't truly mixed yet saddens me in a way. But once the time comes, you won't lose me all that easily." The bird said, as Koji looked on, before smirking.

"So, you are in my body at this moment?" Koji asked, as the bird gave him a weird look. "Yes." The bird said. "Then don't try threats. You can't and won't have any way to take control over me." Koji said, smirking. What he didn't expect was the smirk that the bird gave.

"You undermind my power. But if you mind your emotions, we may never see each other again." The bird parted with Koji, and Koji was confused.

When Koji came to, he realized that the conversation was over, but it was okay because he knew what he needed to know. So, letting Sakura and Hinata leave for their next classes, Koji waited till he couldn't sense them before he got up, tested the weight that he could put on his ankle, and disappeared from the room, deciding to blow off the rest of his classes.

_(Lunchtime)_

Fuuka looked around the school during lunch, and was worried when she couldn't find Koji. They had only been friends for a day, and already she couldn't find him. She ate at the cafeteria shared by both Kajimaru Shinobi and Kajimaru Kunoichi.

She bumped into someone, and fell to her butt. She looked up to see a boy bowing and apologizing. Just like that, Fuuka began to hyperventilate, and her eyes held fear. The boy looked confused, and thought he did something to hurt her. Fuuka began to look around desparately, before she spotted someone she knew. She hopped up, and ran to him.

Kenji walked along the cafeteria, thinkning on how to get Sakura, before someone took it upon themselves to hide behind his back. He glanced back, and was surprised to see Fuuka there, looking like she seen a ghost. He looked up, and saw a boy coming towards them.

(This shouldn't surprise me…) Kenji leveled the guy an intense look, before the guy began to sweat. "What did you do to Fuuka?" Kenji asked, but his tone held one that promised pain. "I didn't do anything, Kenji-sama!!! I accidentally bumped into her, and I was trying to make sure she was alright!" He said, falling to his knees, and bowing lowly.

Kenji sighed, thinking this was serious. "I see. You are dismissed." Kenji flicked his hand, and the boy ran away. Kenji sighed, but smirked. "You can't keep avoiding boys like that, Fuuka-chan." Kenji said, as Fuuka stopped hiding behind his back.

"You are probably right, Ken-kun." Fuuka said quietly, whch caused Kenji to smile at her. "It's okay. I understand. Your situation is pretty extreme." Kenji said, patting her head. Fuuka smiled, and moved her head into the soft caress.

"Thanks for looking out for me, Ken-kun." Fuuka said, smiling. "Well, what are childhood friends for?" Kenji said, smiling back. "How are things with Sakura-san?" Fuuka asked. "I want to say I can get her, but I'm beginning to think that my role is changing." Kenji said. "Huh?" Fuuka asked.

"I think I've become something of her main love's rival. But I can't say I have any chance in hell of winning." Kenji said. "How come?" Fuuka asked. "Because ever since that one boy from Konoha has come, she's become sort of distant to everyone." Kenji said.

"You mean Koji-san? He seems nice for a boy." Fuuka said, and Kenji smirked. "Well, if you think he's okay, then I guess I should try to make some kind of peace with him." Kenji said, as he bopped Fuuka in the forehead. "Now stay out of trouble. You know where to find me." Kenji said, as the next bell rang.

_(Somewhere)_

Koji pulled out his Chakra Board, and was off the school grounds before anyone could try to stop him. Since he didn't feel like staying in the village, he hung around the forest, boarding to his hearts content. He didn't see the eyes in the shadows that looked at him, scrutinizing him.

"That boy has some balls to be riding into our terrain." One of them said, smirking. "Should we confront them, Akito-sama?" One of them asked. "Che. He needs a lesson on looking before he leaps. Let's play with the boy." She said, and her smirk could be seen.

Koji kept his board traveling along the ground, and occasionally shooting into the trees and grinding along branches. He felt like he as flying, and it made him feel pretty good. He landed on the ground, and narrowly avoided hitting a branch. He was about to comment, before he kicked his board up, blocking 5 kunai.

(Someone is looking for a fight.) Koji let his chakra feel out who was there, and he smirked when he felt something. He turned sharply, and a Lightning Gun was launched. He could hear his attack hitting his target, and the sound of body hitting a tree.

He smirked victoriously, before he turned his board back into the bracelet he wears and hopped into the tree to avoid more kunai. "Okay, tough guys. Whoever is out there come out and fight like a man!" Koji said. "Who said that I was a man?" Koji's eyes narrowed as a girl who looked to be the same age as him appeared. She had light green hair, and sharp brown eyes.

"Another girl? What is it with you Kajimaru Kunoichi Girls and looking to make life for me more troublesome than it needs to be!?" Like Koji said, she had on the school outfit for the Kajimaru Kunoichi school. "You from the Shinobi school? Oh right. One of those four boys who came to our school as a transfer student." She said, and smirked.

"You are trespassing into our domain, little boy." She said, and Koji hopped off his branch, smirking right back. "Little boy? Try that intimidation on someone who isn't taller than you, shrimp." Koji said, leaning on a tree. He had almost a foot of height over her, he guessed, and smirked when she scowled.

"You are tall." She said, and Koji shrugged. "So I am." He replied cryptically. "You think your height can help you in this fight?" She said. "I rather not, but every advantage counts in a fight." Koji said, as his hand rested just outside of where his Chakra Staff was.

Before he could react, rope was around his waist, and arms, and legs. He looked around, and saw 6 other girls on boards moving in a circle, tying him up. (Great…) Koji mused, as after a few seconds, he was bound standing.

"I see 7-on-1 is more your forte, neh?" Koji asked sarcastically, which provoked a scowl from one of the girls. "This guy is quite the smart-ass isn't he? I say we end him now." She said, smirking and pulling out a kunai. "If you didn't have me tied up, you wouldn't stand a chance, you sadist." Koji said.

The red head with black eyes glared at him, before another girl who looked exactly like her with blond hair and black eyes grabbed her arm. "It isn't our choice. What says you, Akito-sama?" They turned to the green head, who smirked.

"I say we make him our slave." She said, looking sadistic. "Sorry, but I don't want to be you guys's sex slaves. No offense, you all look really attractive, but I'm no man-whore." Koji said non-chalantly, as all the girls scowled/blushed. "We meant no such things, you pervert!!" The blond screamed.

Koji smirked, and could see the red head and the blond still blushing. "You sure? Because if you meant it, I can give anything a try. Always wanted to do twins at the same time." Koji said, smirking charmingly, as the twins blushed dark red.

(Messing with them when I'm tied up and have a potential chance to die is fun.) Koji thought to himself, as the green head, whom he heard them call Akito, sneered at him. "You've got balls kid. Taking the time to crack jokes when you could die." Akito said. "Well, like you said, I could die. But wouldn't it be great to die in between two hot twins?" Koji asked.

Akito smirked some more, as the twins blushed even darker, though Koji didn't think that would be possible. "I would appreciate it if you didn't flirt with my gang members." She said, though it wasn't heatedly. She was just saying. "A gang of nothing but girls? Wow, don't see that too often." Koji said.

"You must be pretty ballsy to make a comment like that." Akito said, and Koji shrugged. "If I really thought I could possibly die, I would be a little more conscious of what I say." Koji said offhandedly, and Akito smirked. "I see. Well, since you are so sure, how about a game?" She said, and Koji looked to her.

"Game?" "Sure. I noticed you know your way around an Extreme Gear." She said. "You mean my Chakra Board?" Koji asked. "Whatever. How about a race? From here to the school." Akito said. "Che. We are technically skipping class, baka. We may be caught and given detention." Koji said, and Akito smirked.

"That's what brings the thrill of the battle." She said, and Koji smirked. "Fine. Game on." Koji said, as he pulled his bracelet off, and it turned into his Chakra Board. "Just tell me where the starting line is." Koji said, and she smirked.

_(5 Minutes Later)_

"Okay, so you know the rules, right?" Akito asked, and Koji shrugged. "Winner is first to the Kajimaru Kunoichi School Doors. Besides that, anything goes." Koji said. "If I win, you become slave to the Kajimaru War Goddesses." She said.

"And if I win, I get off scotch free and potentially get to see your bra size which is showing through your shirt." Koji said, and was hit in the back of his head. "Ready?" Akito asked. "Set?" Koji said. "GO!!!" And with that, both nin shot off, leaving trails of dust.

_(Back at the school)_

"Where the heck is Koji!? He ditched the whole day!!" Kiba complained to Shino, who was looking at an annoyed looking Shikamaru. "Not like I have any right to talk. I ditched as well, but for a good reason." Shikamaru said, and Kiba scowled.

"So why did Shino and I have to stay all day?" Kiba whined. "Because Shino's poor fangirls would tear the school up looking for him." Shikamaru said, smirking, as Shino scowled at him, but they didn't know he did.

"It isn't fair that you two get to just skip a day on a whim." Kiba said. "I didn't skip on a whim. Koji did." Shikamaru said. Kiba scowled, and Shino remained quiet. "Let's find Koji. This is important, and he needs to know about this." Shikamaru said, as him and the other boys walked off.

_(In the forest)_

Akito was flying across the forest at a pretty fast speed, as the trees and stuff were flying past her quickly. The boy wasn't anywhere in sight, and she was going down the side of a hill, smirking. "No way that boy could catch me now." She mused to herself, before she felt another chakra presence nearby. She looked into the sky, and her eyes widened when she saw Koji, flying in the air from launching off the cliff she just passed by. He was spinning rapidly in the air, and landed right next to her as she reached the bottom.

"Not done yet!" Koji said, smirking, and she smirked back. "From here it's a straight race." She said. "Then let's see who's faster!" Koji screamed.

_(Near the school)_

Kenji and Sakura were walking around town, since school had ended a few minutes back. Kenji noted her subdued state, and decided to confront her about it.

"Something bothering you, Sakura-san?" Kenji asked. Sakura was brought out of her thoughts, and smiled to Kenji. "Nothing is wrong." Sakura said. Kenji frowned. "You are a bad liar. What's bothering you?" Kenji asked. Sakura's 'smile' vanished, and became a look of sadness.

"Why would Koji fake not knowing who me or any of the other Kunoichi were?" Sakura asked. Kenji knew the reason, but because Sakura would have been mad at him, which would cause him to be hit by her inhuman strength, he played innocent.

"What is your relation to him?" Kenji asked out of the blue, which caused Sakura to look at him with wide eyes. "What are your feelings for him?" Kenji asked, and Sakura averted her gaze. "I-I have no idea what you-" "If I wish to continue to try and get you to be my girlfriend, I want to make sure there is no one else you are involved with." Kenji said this calmly, and Sakura's eyes widened.

"…" "Is it Koji?" Kenji asked, basically knowing the answer. She blushed, and looked down. That was the answer Kenji needed, but oddly enough, he didn't feel like his heart was crushed. "I see. Well, Sakura-san. Good luck with your life." Kenji said, as he walked away.

His next stop: Find Koji and work out this little issue of avoiding the one who loves him. Kenji didn't have to look long, as Koji and Akito flashed right past him. "Hm. Was that Akito? Leader of the Kajimaru War Goddesses?" Kenji decided to follow them, to see how this would play out.

Koji and Akito were neck and neck, as people were ducking out of the way to avoid being hit by the two ninja barreling across the streets on boards. Both nin's hair was flying wildly, as they approached the road leading to the school.

"Slow down!! You know you want to!!" Koji screamed. "Shut up, loser!!!" She screamed back, and the race took to even greater speeds. "The school!!!" Both screamed, before they glanced at each other, and poured everything they had into the last stretch. With battle screams, both tore into he School District, and leveled the door. Both slid along the ground, but didn't hesitate to roll to their feet and scream 'First!!!' Both then glared at each other, daring the other to say they had won.

"Frankly, I saw that it was a tie." Both board nin froze, and felt their blood freeze over. They turned, and saw the principal, smirking. "I see that you have ditched yet again, Akito-san. And you Koji-san went missing after 3rd period." The principal said, smirking. "Head to Room 300 for detention." He said, and walked away. Both nin had clouds of dread as they walked towards their fates.

_(Somewhere unknown)_

"So, the plan is ready?" In the shadows of a cave stood three shadows. "So, what's the plan T.K?" Blade asked. "Easy. Three way assault." He said. "Huh?" Sidestep asked. "I take Sound." He said, and Blade caught on. "I see! And the assault begins!!" Blade said, excited. "What about me?" Sidestep asked. "You get Sand." "And me?" Blade asked, as T.K gave a sardonic look. "You get to fight the one you want to fight." T.K said, and Blade smiled a dazzling smile. "Yes!! I get Koji!!" Blade said, and Sidestep smirked. "You really think you can win?" Sidestep asked, and Blade scowled. "I bet all my weapons on it!!" Blade said. "We start Saturday." T.K said, and the three retired back into the cave to mentally prepare themselves. An attack would be launched in 4 days.

_(Detention Room)_

Koji and Akito sat in the room, waiting to see who would be their 'nanny' would be. The moment the person walked in, Koji paled. (As much as possible for him.) Violet hair tied up with a band. Eyes that were pupiless and looked to promise pain, and a black tight T-Shirt and brown over coat that execentuated her boobs were the trademark of one Anko Mitarashi.

"So, you two are the little maggots that I get to have fun with, huh?" Anko asked, smirking this really deadly smirk. Akito didn't see the problem, but was curious when Koji started to cry anime tears, and cringe in pain. "So I see little Koji is here, huh?" Anko said, sending Koji a look that could be interpreted many ways, but from the way Koji was squirming, may have been pain.

"Afternoon, Anko-Sensei…" Koji tried to not get into deep shit for this one. "Anko-Sensei? Now that doesn't sound like your usual voice. You seem to think I forgot what you tried to do back in Konoha?" She asked, a sinister smirk on her face.

"But I really thought you and Kakashi would have made a great couple!!" Koji tried to defend, but Anko smirked. "I see. And thanks to that, you will be my bitch for the next 2 hours." Anko said, and Koji really cried in fear. This was going to be a long, painful two hours.

**ShadowRonin: Koji is in for the fight of his life, if Kenji had anything to say about it. But his first challenge: Surviving 2 hours with Anko, who still remembered what he did back in Konoha.**

**Next Chapter: Koji always thought that he was doing what was best for everyone, and believes that to the fullest. But when his beliefs and plans are challenged in the most extreme way by Kenji, can Koji back his statements up, or is he in for a rude awakening? Find out on:**

**Chapter 49: The Unknown Calm Before the Storm! Kenji vs. Koji!!**


	49. Decisive Battle

**Yo!! Thanksgiving wasn't too bad. My uncles are some of the craziest, but coolest, people I know. That and I feel sore from an intense game of Football on friday. It was epic, and fun, yet painful at the end. But I digress. Read and Review.**

Chapter 49: The Unknow Calm Before the Storm! Kenji vs. Koji!!

Koji knew that today was going to suck big time. He got a note from Kenji saying that they needed to have a 'chat.' Koji knew that by 'chat', he meant a death brawl. But Koji didn't know what he did.

He left Sakura alone, and even made peace with Shikamaru. So what did he do to piss fate off. (Fine. I've been looking for some way to release this pent up need to bust a move! Kenji's toast!!) Koji sneered. Sure it was Friday, and class was out, but he was ready for a fight.

_(Elsewhere)_

Kenji sighed. It was plain obvious to anyone with a brain that the sexual tension between Koji and Sakura was so thick, that he thought it was suffocating. So he decided to take it upon himself to set this couple straight by forcing Koji to admit to everything that he has been truly feeling.

He smirked in contemplation, before he bumped into Fuuka. "Oh. Fuuka-chan. You okay?" Kenji asked, as Fuuka his behind him yet again. This time, two boys ran up, getting over the laughter from chasing Fuuka around. "You enjoy picking on someone who is afraid of you?" Kenji asked, as the two boys began to sweat from fear.

"Ng. Kenji-sama…" One of them said, and Kenji showed his palm, and the boys ran away. Kenji sneered, and turned to Fuuka. "You are a Kunoichi, Fuuka-chan. Try using some of your jutsu to make them stop picking on you." Kenji said, and Fuuka sighed wistfully. "I wish I could, but they scare me. I can't help it Ken-kun…" Fuuka said sadly, and Kenji sighed.

"I guess." He said, ruffling her hair. Fuuka smiled, and Kenji smirked back. "It's time." Kenji looked up and saw Koji there, arms crossed, and in his black open button shirt with green tank top underneath, and blue baggy shorts. "So it is. Fuuka-chan, go find the other Kunoichi and play with them." Kenji said, and Fuuka nodded and went away. Koji raised an eyebrow at this tidbit of interaction. (Hm. Interesting…) Koji thought to himself. "Follow me, Koji." He said, and Koji followed him into the forest.

_(Just outside the Village)_

Both nin came to a small clearing that was in the open, and they stood across from each other. "So, why are you here to fight me? I thought I was avoiding Sakura like you said." Koji said, as Kenji frowned at him. "You think this is about you seeing Sakura? You are a bigger fool than I thought." Kenji said, and Koji glared.

"Then what is this-" "What is Sakura to you?" Koji was caught off guard by the question. "What? Sakura? I told you I don't-" Koji didn't flinch when a fireball zoomed past his head. "Don't lie to me, baka. What is your relationship with Sakura?" Kenji asked again, and this time, Koji sighed.

"She is someone who I hold close to me." Koji said. "Then why be so passive about her?" Kenji asked. "Because I don't want her sad when I leave for good." Koji said solemnly, but Kenji actually began to chuckle. "You coward. What would Sakura see in someone like you? I bet your parents are crying in their graves, or wherever it is they are." Kenji said, and Koji scowled.

"I already told you about what would happen-" "And I am well aware. But answer me this. Did your parents raise a LOWLIFE COWARD WHO CAN'T PROTECT HIS OWN FRIENDS!?!!?" That was the last straw, and Koji charged at Kenji.

Kenji smirked, as Koji's electric charged fist smashed into Kenji's palm, which was exhuding fire. "Hn. This all there is to your power? Shame." Kenji said, as he blasted Koji with a blaze of flames. Koji rolled on the ground, before he launched to his feet, and charged again. Kenji dodged the easy to read punches, before he socked Koji in the jaw, and kicked him in the gut, dropping him to his knees.

"Koji. What the hell are you doing?" Kenji asked, and scowled. "If you wish to defeat me, then use your fucking head. Kami-sama, it's like I'm fighting a Genin." Kenji said, and Koji's hair covered his eyes. When he stood up, he got into the Tiger Fist Stance, and his eyes showed resolve. The Koji we all know is back!!!

Kenji smirked. He could see the fight that he was going to get just from the determined look in his eyes. (Show me what you got, Koji. Show me the strength and skill that captured one such as Sakura.) Kenji then charged, and the battle was on!

Kenji started things off with a straight jab, but Koji knocked it out of the way, and kicked Kenji. Kenji recovered fine, and tried a flying Roundhouse kick. Koji caught the kick, and Kenji touched the ground with his other foot and kicked Koji in the jaw. Kenji then followed it up by planting his hand into the ground, and ramming his foot into Koji's neck, sending him into the air. Kenji then brought his hands into seals, and aimed his hands into the air, forming a triangle.

"Fire Style: Blast Cannon Jutsu!!" Kenji launched an intense pulse of fiery triangles at Koji, who was hit, and created an explosion. Kenji didn't let his guard down for a second, and was rewarded when a Demon Wind Shuriken barreled at him, forcing him to catch the weapon, which held an Exploding Tag on it. Kenji's eyes widened, right before he was engulfed in the Explosion. Sitting in a treee, Koji smirked.

"Hope you like that attack. I call it the Demon Wind Bomb." Koji said, as he began to pulse electricity in his left palm. The electricity then formed a disk, and Koji launched it into the smoke. The explosion was expected, but a blaze bomb hitting Koji in the gut and sending him into a tree sort of wasn't. Koji was on one knee when Kenji appeared from the smoke, fire taking up his right fist.

"You want to step it up, Koji? If you really want to fight for Sakura, you're doing a poor job." Kenji said, and Koji actually started to chuckle. "You think you stand a chance if I fought for real?" Koji asked, and Kenji smirked. "No. I think you aren't worthy enough for someone like Sakura. You would break her heart with your belief that distancing yourself is for the best." Kenji said, and Koji scowled.

"What I decide is none of you-" "Shut up! You're like a broken record." Kenji said coldly, and Koji flinched. "You think distancing yourself is best, but what does your heart say?" Kenji said. Koji looked to the ground, and Kenji smirked. "If you truly believe this conviction that you have set into your mindset, then you will defeat me here and now." Kenji said, and Koji glared at him.

"Right now, you are fighting with a belief that you know is total bullshit. You want Sakura by your side, but you don't want to admit it." Kenji said. "I don't know what you are talking about." Koji said, as he averted his gaze. "Can't stand to look me in the face because you know I'm right!?" Kenji screamed at him, and Koji charged again.

"You fight back because you desparately wish to prove yourself right!" Kenji blocked the punches, and kicked Koji in the gut. "You try to prove me wong, but aren't you really trying to desparately convince yourself?" Kenji blocked a kick, and Koji hopped back. "SHUT UP!!!!" Koji screamed. "Mad because my shots are slowly becoming more on the dot? Or are you realizing that you aren't worth Sakura's time?" Kenji asked.

Koji screamed in anger, and transformed. His hair was streaked with gold, and his eyes held that gold color. "Your true power? You'd go that far to bullshit?" Kenji asked, and Koji charged.

_(Back in the village)_

The girls were sitting outside the Ramen Bar, eating and chatting. They turned when they saw Kiba, Shino, and Shikamaru appear. "Kiba-kun! Why are you guys here?" Hinata asked. "Have any of you seen Koji?" Shikamaru asked. "He disappeared?" Tenten asked.

"More like has been causing enough trouble to make himself scarce." Shino said, and the girls all nodded in understanding. What they didn't expect was the large explosion that occurred, and the electric beam that shot into thte air. "I'd say we found him." Ino said, and they disappeared towards the explosion.

_(Battle field)_

Koji and Kenji stood across from each other, panting and coughing. Both nin looked beat up, battered, and chakra drained. Kenji took that time to chuckle, and Koji glared. "You went this far over a false belief. You are way too stubborn." Kenji said, smirking. Koji extended his hand, as the lightning came to life. Kenji's smirk grew.

"You don't want to do this. I know you can't sever the ties you made." Kenji said, as Koji's fist blasted, howls coming from the electric fist. Koji then charged, with all the speed he has. Kenji's left hand created some fire drills, as he smirked.

"You wish to end this?" Kenji asked, as Koji was some steps away. Both brought their fists back, and attacked, as another explosion went off. When the dust cleared, both nin stood, their hair covering their eyes. Then Koji coughed, and Kenji smirked even broader. Koji's Lightning Wolf didn't clamp onto his stomch, but Kenji's Fire Drills hit Koji dead on. He pulled his hand back, and the drills yanked out, and blood spurted out, as he fell to the ground onto his stomach.

"You feel better now?" Kenji asked. "…Ng…I hate when you are right." Koji muttered, as they both felt more people coming. Kenji turned to walk away. "Don't forget those bonds you made by trying to turn them away." Kenji said, and he began to walk. He didn't get far, because the Konoha Shinobi appeared. "What did you do to him, bastard?" Kiba asked, as Akamaru began to growl menacingly.

"I was helping a friend with a problem." Kenji said. "By beating the hell out of him!?" Ino screamed. "Did you get my point Koji?" Kenji asked, as Sakura was healing him using Medical Jutsus. "Shut up. I got your point." Koji said, shaking his head as Sakura told him to lie back down. "Good." Kenji said. He took two steps before Shino was right in front of him.

"Yes?" Kenji asked. "I don't know wether to attack you for attacking Koji, or hug you for penetrating that boulder he calls a head." Shino said, and Kenji's eyebrows rose. "You speak? I heard that you are silent." Kenji said. "I speak when I need to." Shino said, and Kenji smirked. "I see." He then stepped past Shino, and headed to his house.

"I wonder what they were fighting about." Ino mused outloud. "I have an idea, but it may be wrong." Shino muttered to himself, as he walked away. The girls looked to Shino weirdly, but Kiba and Hinata merely smiled. "He picks up on things quickly." Hinata said.

After finding out that Koji would be okay, and getting patched up, Kenji walked to his house, and was about to plop onto his bed, before a note was caught in his vision. He picked it up, and scowled. Without missing a beat, he turned, and ran out of the door, as the note fell to the ground:

Dear KajiKen: (Fire Fist)

We have someone precious to you. If you aren't at the address on the bottom of the sheet in 5 hours, the girl will die.

From: Buster.

The picture was of Fuuka, blind folded, and knocked out.

_(The address)_

5 hours had past, and a small gang was at a clearing, waitng. "Think he will show?" One of them asked. Before the leader could answer, a fireball blazed right by his head, answering his question.

"So, KajiKen has arrived." He said, as Kenji stood across the clearing, a fire in his eyes that wasn't always there. "If you wish to live, you will release Fuuka to me now." Kenji said, as the air became humid and heated. "KajiKen. You have arrived." He said.

"You must be Buster." Kenji didn't ask. "And if I am?" Buster asked. "You are about 2 steps away from being killed on the spot. But I'm a nice guy. Why did you use Fuuka as bait to lure me?" Kenji asked dangerously. "You have held the spot of Top Warrior of Kajimaru for two years now. I think it's time for you to step down." Buster said, as he slid on some red gloves that looked like fists.

"So here's my game. Only Taijutsu and chakra powered Taijutsu is allowed in this fight. Loser is the one who is unable to get up after a ten count." Buster said. "You just wanted a fight!? You dragged her into this for a challenege!?" Kenji asked, as his anger was slowly beginning to rise.

"If you win, she will be unharmed. Refuse, and I'll inflict bodily harm upon her." Buster said, and Kenji glowered. They then heard someone yawning, and Fuuka slowly came to. "Fuuka. Stay calm." She didn't try to argue against it, because she knew if Kenji told her to stay calm, then he had the situation under control. Even though she was blind folded, if Kenji said she was fine, then she would trust him.

"I'll take your offer. We fight using nothing but Taijutsu and chakra enhanced Taijutsu attacks." Kenji said, as he got into his stance. "Good. Prepare to have your title taken, KajiKen." He said, as he raised his gloved fists so they were guarding his face. "You'll regret this." Kenji said.

**ShadowRonin: Kenji turned out different from how I originally planned him to be. I wanted an OC rival for Koji, but I ended up taking a different path with his Character Development. I also didn't intend for him to have his own chapter, but these things have a way of not working the way I would normally have them go.**

**Next Chapter:**** Kenji isn't someone to be trifled with. And these guys are just asking to get themselves killed. Kenji is going to kill them, but something isn't right. Buster has a plan, and it's in motion in:**

**Chapter 50: Prelude to a Storm. Kenji vs. Buster!!**


	50. Kenij vs Buster

**Yo!! Lack of motivation during winter break and school caused me to sorta fall behind in my stories. To my fans, I'm sorry. I've just about found a swing for this semester, and I'm hoping I can update at least once or twice a month.**

Chapter 50: Prelude to a Storm. Kenji vs. Buster!!

_(Some time before)_

"_Kenji is quite a powerhouse when it comes to Taijutsu. I doubt you could win in a straight fight." Buster glared at the nin across from him. "I should know. I have gotten my ass kicked by him enough times to know his attack pattern is like. Trust me." He said. Buster looked a little hesitant, but he didn't question any further._

Buster was anticipating that Kenji would throw the first punch, but he stood in his stance, waiting. Buster smirked, as he slowly approached at a slow movement. Once he was just outside Kenji's movement range, Kenji charged, fist cocked ready to beat some ass.

"_Kenji's punches are sort of one dimensional." The mysterious man said, and Buster looked confused. "1-D? How so?" "They are either straight, or sideways or downward. No creativity to them at all. His punches are predictable as cold in the winter."_

Kenji tried a straight jab, but Buster blocked it, and got a clean hit on Kenji's jaw. Kenji faltered, but tried an overhead chop, which Buster sidestepped, and countered yet again. Kenji recovered just in time for a Right Hook to land on his jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. He landed on his back, and laid there. (Ng. American Boxing is the Taijutsu he uses?) Kenji thought to himself, as he spit out blood when he got to his feet.

"_One of Kenji's trademark moves is an attack from midair. Half of his moves are based solely off that mindset. If you can prevent him from getting any kind of aerial ground, then you will cut off about a third of his attack moves."_

Kenji charged, and hopped into the air, preparing an attack from the air. He spun, and tried a roundhouse kick, which Buster blocked. He then hopped back, and before he knew it, Buster was hopping off the ground, a flying uppercut got him dead in the gut.

He flew into the air, and landed on his back. "Ken-kun!!!" Fuuka screams in fear, as Kenji groaned, and sat up. "Bastard hits like a truck." Kenji muttered, as he got to one knee before standing up.

"_This is the next thing, and the second most important. Kenji loves kicks. This makes up about ¾ of his move list. But that is what makes it dangerous." Buster smirked. "So he likes his feet. Big deal." Buster said. "It is a big deal. His kicks alone are damn near impossible to read properly without some kind of intuition like the Sharingan from Konoha." Buster's eyes narrowed in disbelief._

"Time to step it up to Round Two." Kenji said out loud, and charged. Buster saw him twist, going into a kick. Instincfully, he brought his hand up to guard, but Kenji's kick fell short, and he used that momentum to bring his other foot around, and kick Buster dead in his face.

Buster spun in mid air, before he landed on the ground, and jumped to his feet. Buster then brought his fist up to block a flying kick, but Kenji used that fist as leverage to turn his body, and kick Buster with his other foot. He then used the kick to float in the air, and axe kicked Buster in his right shoulder, which caused him to face plant big time.

Kenji flipped in mid air, before he landed on the ground, back into his stance. Buster scoffed angrily, as he got to his feet. "Ken-kun! Be carful!!" Fuuka screamed, and Kenji smirked. "I won't lose to scum like him anytime soon." Kenji said confidently. (This little bastard is so full of himself.) Buster thought to himself.

"You think just because you can work your feet a little means you can beat me?" Buster asked, as he charged. Kenji merely began to hop around, and he kicked Buster dead in the face, as he flew back. Buster recovered in mid-air, and threw a punch, and his right glove shot off his fist.

(What!?) Kenji thought, as the chakra laced glove pounded straight into his jaw, causing him to slide back. He then ducked his head back, as the chakra fist shot into the air. "Ken-kun!!!" Fuuka screamed, and Kenji rubbed his sore jaw. "Some attack." Kenji mumbled.

"You think it's over? Feel my Rocket Punch!!!" Buster screamed, as he cocked his left fist back, and punched, sending his other glove flying. Kenji managed to see this one coming, and slid out of the way, right into Buster, who moved anticipating his dodge.

Kenji's eyes were wide right before a left hook connected with his jaw, sending him flying into the tree next to Fuuka. "Ken-kun!!!" Fuuka screamed. Kenji groaned in pain. "See? This is the extent of your power?" Buster asked. "How can you be the kind of person who is the strongest in Kajimaru Shinobi if this is all you got?" Buster asked.

"How can you protect that pathetic girl with that kind of power?" Kenji felt his blood run cold, and Fuuka looked at Kenji with terror. She then turned to Buster, who held a cocky and arrogant smirk. "Please, take what you said back." Fuuka pleaded.

"Tch. I don't listen to those who are too weak and pathetic to even-" Kenji only had half a second to dodge the fireball that shot right by his head. He would have said that Kenji broke the rule, but there was no hand seals used in that last attack. Kenji's fireball was in the form of a fist. Buster looked to Kenji, feeling the severe amount of chakra pulsing off him.

"_And the most important thing you should know. If you cause this to happen, you would best to run away." The man said, and Buster scoffed. "I don't run from fights." Buster said. "That kind of foolish arrogance will cause him to kill you."_

Buster stood awed as Kenji stood to his feet, fire pulsing off of him in waves.

"_Should you ever make Kenji mad, and I mean mad, he will become a whole new person."_

Kenji clenched his fist, as it was enveloped in a fireball. His green hair was covering his eyes, and Buster could feel the killing intent that was being directed at him.

"_His untapped dormant power will be awakened, and his strength will become that of the Kage Level."_

Kenji then slowly began to sneer, as his hair slowly drifted from his eyes. What Buster saw made his blood run cold. Kenji's eyes weren't their normal orange. They were now a cold chilling red. And they held the same fire that his body was launching off.

"_And you will face the power of a demon."_

Buster could feel the power coming off of him, and it was astounding. (This can't be! What-Who is this person!? It's almost demonic!!) Kenji's hair then turned a bright Fire Red, and he roared, which shot a dome of fire around him, burning the grass and trees around him to a crisp. The bright blue sky had turned a violent black. Storm Clouds were approaching.

"_For at that point, his emotions no longer control it. The fierce power of the Fire Phoenix, one of the Legendary Phoenixes of Lore."_

"I must say, boy. It's been years since I've been able to get free. Now, thanks for shattering the restraint he held. Your prize: The worst ass kicking you ever felt." Kenji said, but his voice held traces of some kind of demonic entity. Kenji then smirked, as he flashed right behind Buster, giving him a searing hot right hook. It hit him dead in the face, and he could feel the flames from the attack.

"You talked a ton of shit for someone who knew of the oncoming power Kenji has. Now you get to see it-" Kenji started, before he clutched his head, growling. "Not yet, boy! I don't care if you vowed to never use my powers, he is a threat to our existence!" The demon said, and chakra began to form a cloak around him.

"Good. Now, boy. Prepare yourself!!" Kenji screamed, as fire surrounded him, blinding everyone around. When the flames died down, Kenji stood there, in a white vest and pants with fire trailing along the pant legs and the short sleeves. "Now that I have free reign, you will feel the power of eternal hell." Kenji said, as the flames then surrounded his fists and feet.

"_In case you do do something stupid like start a fight against the Fire Phoenix, you should be aware of it's power. Each Phoenix has their own element and trait. The Fire Phoenix's trait is Chakra Enhanced Fists and Feet. Think Tsunade's super human strength, but without the serious chakra control, and fire enhanced."_

Buster could feel the power that was eminating from Kenji, and he didn't want to even think of the things that the boy was about to do with them. "You ready, human? I think you will enjoy the tons of pain that I inflict on you." Kenji said, as he began to walk towards Buster, each step leaving a small crater. Kenji then disappeard. Buster's eyes widened, and he lost track of Kenji. Kenji then reappeared in front of Buster, right fist blazing.

"Blazing Upper!!" Kenji said, as he launched his fist into Buster's jaw. The attack left a fiery trail, and he jumped into the air, sending Buster flying backwards. Buster hit the trees quite hard, and slid to the ground. "That all you got, human? That wasn't even strong enough for a warm up." Kenji said.

At this point, Fuuka was trying her hardest to reach for her kunai and free herself before Kenji went out of control. (You said you had control over that monster!!) She screamed mentally.

_Flashback: A few years ago._

11 year old Fuuka sat next to a tree, fear radiating off her. Kenji's demon had gotten lose out of rage when he came face too face with the person who had made her what she is.

A scared girl who couldn't face guys.

Kenji's hair was red, and so were his eyes, but he managed to retain his demon's powers for a short time. In his soul mind was the scenery of a volcano. "So you managed to control me before you killed the girl." The fire phoenix, obscured by a red glow due to it's immense power, said.

"What the hell!?" Kenji screamed, angrily. "You managed to tame this beast. I must say I am quite amazed." The phoenix said. "So what does that mean?" Kenji asked. "That means you have earned the right to use my full powers without losing yourself." The phoenix said, as a bright red toy gun appeared in Kenji's hand.

"What's this?" Kenji asked. "That is your Evoker. With this, all you have to do is shoot yourself, and my powers will merge with yours." The phoenix said. Kenji looked to the gun, and saw the name Sparkx. "Sparx. That's your name, isn't it?" Kenji asked. "Yep. That's me! Got it memorized?" He taunted, before the Soul Mind disappeared.

When he came to, he realized that the man who was attempting to have his way with Fuuka was dead. "Did I do that?" Kenji muttered to himself. He then saw various craters and areas where the land was scorched.

"That is your power, Kenji. It gives you more access to flames than you originally had." Sparx said, and Kenji nodded. "Fuuka-chan, are you-" Kenji stopped moving towards her when he saw her move away from him, fear on her feature.

"She might be scared of the sheer power and demonic energy you have." Sparx said with a tone of mockery towards Kenji. Kenji remained silent. He then lowered his head, as his hair, which turned back to forest green, covered his eyes.

"I see. That is the expected reaction, and I don't blame you." Kenji said. He then started to walk away. He put his hands into his pocket, and felt the toy gun. "It isn't her fault. It's mine for using this monster's power." Kenji said to himself. "I won't use this kind of evil, even if I have control over it." Kenji said.

"Do you mean it?" Kenji looked behind him, and saw Fuuka there, a wary and scared loook on her face. "Of course!! I can become the strongest ever without something evil!" Kenji said. Fuuka smiled slightly, and ran into Kenji, embracing him.

"Don't think that you can just not worry about me. If your emotions overload, then I will let myself free again." Sparx reminded. (I don't need your power!) Kenji said. "Now you may not, but in due time, you will need it. With great power comes great responsibility. Don't forget that…" Sparx said, as Kenji felt his presence disappear.

_End._

Fuuka finally gotten herself freed from the ropes, as Kenji began to stalk towards Buster. "This forest will run red with your blood." Kenji said, as he left small craters with each step.

Before he could get within range, he felt someone grasping him from behind. He was about to use some flames to blast them off, but he was quieted by a voice. "You promised!!" Kenji's eyes widened. "That girl?" (Fuuka!!!) Both had different reactions.

"You promised you didn't need his help!! You promised that you had control over that thing!!!" Fuuka said, as she cried into his back. Kenji's eyes softened, and his eyes changed from red to the bright orange they always were. "I didn't lose myself. Sparx was just looking out for my life. We are connected like that, you know…" Kenji muttered, before his cloths returned to normal, and he chuckled.

"Boy am I tired." He said, as he fell backwards. Fuuka slowly let him down, and rested his head on her lap. "So, little firefly is out of gas. This is the time to finish this." Buster stood to his feet, smirking. He then ran his right fist into his left, and smirked an evil smirk. He ran at Kenji, but hopped back when Fuuka tossed three kunai into his direction.

"What's this? The girl with Guy-phobia is going to stand up to me? Isn't that something?" Buster taunted, but his eyes widened when Fuuka's dark eyes held his with determination. "If you wish to kill him, you go through me!!" She said, as chakra flared through her hands. "We'll see, won't we?" He said, as he charged.

He tried a straight up punch, but she ducked, and tried to run her hand into his chest. He slid away, and elbowed her, sending her flying. She slid backwards before she flipped to her feet. "See? You can't do-" Buster stopped when he felt his body stop responding to his brain. "You shouldn't be so sure of yourself to underestimate your opponents. My attack has left your muscles unresponsive." Fuuka said. Buster scowled at her, and she smirked.

"You leave Ken-kun alone." She said in a dead calm. Buster merely chuckled, as his mind was working. (When I try to move my right arm, my left foot wiggles. When I move my left leg, my right hand moves. Here goes.) Kenji then stood, and smirked at the surprised look Fuuka had.

"You think so surely of yourself." He said. "Don't worry your pretty head. He will live for today at least." Buster said, as he disappeared. Fuuka sighed in relief, and ran over to Kenji, who was still on his back. "Ken-kun! Ken-kun!!" She screamed. Kenji groaned, before he chuckled.

"If I'm not dead, that means you conquered your fear of men for me…" Kenji said, as he chuckled. "Ken-kun!!!" She screamed, and before neither one knew what happened, her lips had crashed onto his. She pulled away, dark crimson blush across her face, while Kenji took a few seconds to let what happen sink in, before he could make any kind of comment. Fuuka didn't say anything, as water began to fall from the sky. First it was a small drizzle, then it began to rain.

"Hn. Think you can help me get you over somewhere where the rain won't get you sick?" Kenji asked, and Fuuka smiled. She dragged him up, and they sat under some trees, where it wasn't too wet. Fuuka was silent, as Kenji stared out into space. "So, you aren't afraid of men anymore?" Kenji asked awkwardly. "Not sure, but the moment your life was in danger, I knew I couldn't stand by and watch." Fuuka replied, and Kenji chuckle. "I see. That's quite a powerful reason to overcome fear." Kenji said, and Fuuka looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "You let your fear of my death cause you to fight on my behalf, even against your fears." Kenji said, smiling. Fuuka smiled also, and rested her hands in his. "I guess this whole outing wasn't so meaningless." Kenji said. "I earned something quite valuable." He said, and he closed his eyes, while Fuuka rested her head on his shoulder. He always liked the rain.

_(Elsewhere)_

Koji was about to step out and take a quick walk to check nature out, but he stopped when he saw the downpour. "Che. I take a nap for 2 hours, and there's a downpour. Figure." Koji muttered to himself, as he summoned a Shadow Clone.

"What's up, boss?" He asked. Koji pointed to the rain, and the clone sighed. He brought his hands up, and transformed into an umbrella. He picked the umbrella up, and began to walk in the rain. "I can't help but think that something bad is on it's way. Like the heavens is crying for me…" Koji looked to the sky, and sighed.

He was about to continue, but he saw Sakura, sitting on a bench that was under a small hut. "Hey. You stuck out in the rain?" Sakura raised her eyes, and Koji smirked. "What does it look like?" Sakura asked, glaring playfully. "I don't know. You may like sitting out in the cold rain." Koji shot back playfully, as he approached the hut. Sakura stood, and walked under the umbrella when Koji got over there. Koji began to walk towards the girl's dorm, taking Sakura there.

"So, why are you out in the rain?" Koji asked. "Thinking about things." She said, and Koji smirked. "Things? Like what?" Koji asked. "Like what made me decide to become a ninja." Sakura said. Koji looked to the road, and let her continue. "At first, I wanted to because Sasuke was a ninja, but after a while I wanted to become useful to my friends." Sakura said. "Do you regret your choice?" Koji asked.

"No. I regret some of the things I did, but I don't regret being a ninja." Sakura said. "What regrets?" Koji asked. "Like when I was mean to Naruto." Sakura said, looking down. "I wouldn't worry much about it. People like Naruto tend to be very forgiving when the ones who wronged them are sincere. He probably forgave you a long time ago." Koji said, as they approached the girl's dorm.

Koji stopped once the building began to provide protection from the rain. He nodded and began to head back, before Sakura ran behind him, and embraced him from behind. "I would also regret it if you were to disappear before I could do this." Sakura said, and Koji smirked.

"I see. Well, don't worry. If something were to cause me to leave, I would return. That's a promise I won't break." Koji said, and Sakura nodded into his back. She let go, and before she turned to go inside, Koji quickly pecked her on the cheek. "Ja ne!" He said, smiling, as he disappeared. Sakura held her hand to the cheek Koji kissed, and smiled, but couldn't will away the blush she had painted on her face.

_(Unknown)_

"So it's time. The plan is to be implemented." T.K said, as the other two nodded. "I head to Sand, Blade heads to Koji, and you head to Sound." Sidestep said. "We are not allowed to fail. Sound must fall, along with Orochimaru." Blade said.

"Sand shouldn't be expecting an attack." T.K said. "And Koji will die by Blade's hand." Sidestep said. "The mission begins now." T.K said, and they all disappeared. The next day, the wheels of destiny would begin to turn.

**ShadowRonin: Originally, I had no clue as to if I should give the Phoenixes names, but since I've given the Phoenix of Fire a name, it's only natural the other 7 elements get one as well. I also originally wasn't going to have any other phoenixes, but Sparx came into existence, and that was that.**

**Next Chapter:**** The wheels are in motion, and the fight is on. Koji always looked to settle things with Association 15, and a chain of events will lead to the dramatic climax of this arc in:**

**Chapter 51: Outbreak of a Storm!!**

**Side Note: This story is going to have more OCs later that will play some small and medium sized roles, and to remember them all, along with the current ones, I'm going to start a OC Character Bio once I finish this Arc. It's mostly for me because I can be scatterbrained…**


	51. Storm Outbreak

**Yo!! Damn have I been just terrible with keeping with updates, and if it wasn't for a friend, I would have put it off for even longer due to procrastination. But I will get on the ball from here, and get this thing a rollin!**

Chapter 51: Outbreak of a Storm!!

Koji yawned. It was 9:00 in the morning, and a bird was pecking at his window. He opted to ignore it, but the damn thing wouldn't go away. The bird flapped away when three shuriken shattered the window, attempting to hit the bird.

The bird glared angrily at Koji, and furiously pecked at his head. Koji yelled in anger, and the bird flew away, the scroll on its leg falling off. Koji looked to the scroll, and picked it up. Curious, he opened the scroll.

Dear Koji Hyosuke:

This is a challenge from Association 15's Blade. It is time that we fought each other. My two teammates got to have a go at you, and now it's my turn. Come to the Valley of the End, North of Kajimaru Town, and we will settle this once and for all.

From: Blade.

P.S: I hope you survive, and enjoy the redecoration that I've done for you!

Koji didn't get the last part, until he saw the red seal that was pulsing. He didn't quite get it, until he reread the last part. His eyes widened in fear, and he barely had any time before the scroll exploded.

30 minutes later, a crowd was outside the building that was missing a large chunk of building. Kiba and Hinata were looking on, confused. "That was Koji's room." Shikamaru said, as him, Ino, Tenten, and Sakura appeared. "That was?" Kiba asked.

"This sounds really fishy." Ino said. "Koji is running towards somewhere." Shino appeared. "Huh?" Sakura asked. "I was walking around the village, when Koji whipped right by me." Shino said. "This has an issue written all over it." Everyone turned, and Kenji appeared. "I wish to help." "Fine. Everyone meet here in 30 minutes." Shikamaru said, and they all left to get their weapons and stuff.

_(Wind Country)_

Outside the Sand Village, a lone figure in a black robe that looked like it would be way too hot to be comfortable in. "Ah. The Sand Village." He lowered his hood to let his disco afro loose. "Sorry little village, but you need to fall under my thumb." Sidestep said.

"You think you can do it yourself?" Sidestep turned, and saw a boy with dark red hair, and black eyes. "Hn. You think you can stop me?" Sidestep asked. "Not in particular, but hold you off until ANBU arrive, yeah." He said, as he reached for the bandaged thing on his back.

His brown shirt held the symbol for the Sand Village, the hourglass, on his front. His black shorts swaying in the wind. His black fingerless gloves reached for his thing, (on his back you perverts) and Sidestep smirked. "Good luck. You will need it."Sidestep said.

"I see. You aren't some ordinary nin." The Crimson haired youth said, before he unlatched the thing from his back, and set it in front of him with a thud. "Then again, I've been known to be a prodigy." He said, smirking.

_(Eastern Earth Country)_

In the main room of the Sound's West Base, Sasuke sat, Indian Style, as Orochimaru and Kabuto were there. Orochimaru was reading something about Forbidden Jutsus, and Kabuto was reading some manga.

"Hey. Ever read Mahou Sensei Negima?" Kabuto asked Sasuke, who gave him a disbelieving look. "Do I look like the kind who would read manga?" Sasuke asked. Kabuto shrugged. "I wouldn't know. Maybe when you are alone, you do." Kabuto said.

Before Sasuke could reply, there was an explosion, and all three turned to look at each other. "It's time." Orochimaru said. Sasuke sheathed his Kusanagi Blade, and Orochimaru swallowed his, while Kabuto put his Soldier Pills into his pouch.

"There's a good chance we could die." Kabuto said. "Should the situation become too dire, we split up, and work on our own." Orochimaru said. The two nin nodded, and they disappeared.

T.K stood at the entrance of the Sound Base as his Werewolf Beast Spirits tore the village up. "Where are you, Orochimaru?" T.K asked to himself, before he disappeared into the base itself. "So, it seems we have a guest." T.K turned, and saw Sasuke, Orochimaru, and Kabuto, all giving him the eye. "You are dead." T.K said. "Sasuke. Kabuto. Go make sure these abominations stop destroying my village." Orochimaru said, and both nin disappeared.

_(Kajimaru)_

Outside in the Kajimaru Forest, Koji ran, determination on his features. "Those bastards want to get serious, huh? Well fine! I'll show them serious!!!" Koji said, his eyes turning gold already. "They will regret making an enemy out of me!!"

_(Sound West Base)_

"I see you finally have made a move." Orochimaru said. "Orochimaru. The Snake Charmer of the Konoha Sannin. Founder of the Sound Village. For the sake of Association 15's Mission, you must die." T.K said. "I see. You must think yourself pretty powerful to make a bold statement like that." Orochimaru said, and T.K shrugged.

"I guess it's up to me to show you the power of one of the Konoha Sannin." Orochimaru said, as their released chakras clashed.

**ShadowRonin: Well the ball is in motion, and Association 15 begins to make their move. Question is: Will they succeed, or fail? Who knows?**

**Next Chapter:**** The Storm draws in, as Sidestep attempts to take over the Sand, but who is this nin that stands before him, and what kind of skill comes with his Puppet Jutsu? Find out on:**

**Chapter 52: ****Hurricane of Sand!! The Next Sasori of the Red Sand!?**

**Side Note: This story is going to have more OCs later that will play some small and medium sized roles, and to remember them all, along with the current ones, I'm going to start a OC Character Bio once I finish this Arc. It's mostly for me because I can be scatterbrained…**


	52. Author Alert

**Yo! ShadowRonin, Dark Master and Minion of the Shadow Side here. Got some pretty rough news. Due to an incident involving brothers and roughhousing, I lost the data stick that has all my story information and stuff on it. I'm going to be spending a good deal of time trying to find it, and when I do, I'll have a new chapter up to replace the alert I have up now. Either that, or spend some time trying to go off the brain remembering everything, and that will take a good long while as well. So please have some patience, fans, and give me a while to try and get things back on track. Thanks gang!!!**


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